CPI(M), Cong in Kerala attack PM

The ruling CPI(M) and opposition Congress in Kerala today trained their guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "not making" any announcement to reduce hardships faced by people after the demonetisation measure.
While CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that the Prime Minister's announcements were a "disappointment" and amounted to "cheating" people, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said scrapping of high value currencies of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 had not yielded the desired results.
"The Prime Minister in his New Year's eve message did not spell out the outcome of the demonetisation drive, as it did not come anywhere near its expectations," Chandy said at Kottayam.

He alleged the scrapping of currencies was done in a unilateral manner without even taking even his own party into confidence.
Balakrishnan said the central government had stated that the difficulties of the common man would vanish within 50 days. "But people continue to face difficulties."
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac said the Prime Minister's speech was nothing but an "open admission" of total failure of the demonetisation drive.

However, BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekharan said the PM's announcements were a reflection of BJP's commitment to the common man.
"The Prime Minister had announced various schemes for the upliftment of the poor, farmers, women and small entrepreneurs', he said in a statement here.

The hardships of the common man will not go in vain, he said.