Hitting out at the government over the move that has made the common man stand in long queues for hours to get his money exchanged, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said that the Prime Minister should understand ground realities "before the situation goes out of control".
He also demanded that government makes public all NPAs and banks declare the list of big loan defaulters of over Rs 500 crore. He also sought making public the names of industrialists whose loans worth Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore have been rescheduled during the Modi regime.
"The Government should take stock of the situation before it goes out of control. This is a Government which is insensitive, a Government which is arrogant, which has created a myth and carried away by its own propaganda.
"They have created a financial chaos and anarchy like situation in India," he said.
Sharma also questioned BJP chief Amit Shah for doing propaganda on the move as his party had opposed it in 2014 when in opposition.
"Does the BJP have courage in its convictions to comment on their statement from two years ago? Or did they support Black Money then?," he asked, releasing a copy of BJP's press statement of February 2014.
The Congress leader also questioned Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over claims of counterfeit currency and quoted a reply by him in Parliament where he has stated that only 0.02 per cent of the total currency is fake.
(REOPENS DEL 89)
Asked why Rahul Gandhi had to stand in a queue, Sharma said he being a political leader has the right to raise the issue.
"Rahul Gandhi is a political leader and is the vice president of a party, he has done the right thing. More leaders should go out and do the same thing," he said.
Claiming that many marriages have been cancelled, Sharma said this is the time for festivals and weddings and people have also to manage their daily expenses and thus should have been forewarned.
"We have never heard something as absurd as this," he said.
"If people were alerted, then they could have ensured that they had enough cash for their daily expenses," he said.
He said Congress as a responsible opposition will play its role by standing with the common man and raising the concerns of small shopkeepers, poor and the oppressed.
"Government has given the common people of the country such exemplary punishment for no fault of theirs, which is not acceptable in a decent country and democracy.
Sharma said the Prime Minister and Finance Minister have no claim over the money of the taxpayer. "The money lying in savings bank of citizens, Government has no business to say that you cannot withdraw or impose restrictions. What is my money is my money, it does not belong to Narendra Modi. Under which law has the government done so," he asked.
The Congress leader claims that during the UPA, the government ensured that in the transition period, there were enough new notes printed so that people were not inconvenienced.
"If the currency has been printed, then why has it not reached the banks?," he asked.
Raising concerns of farmers, Sharma said, "Which farmer, dear Fin Min and Mr Amit Shah, carries a swipe machine when he goes to the mandi?". He added the textile sector also uses cash transactions. Farm labourers and contract labourers are paid in cash.
"Our economy has significant section which is cash based. This is not all illicit. Farmers go to mandis and use cash for transaction," he said.
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