I am not for sale, thunders Modi, talks of cheap loans
NEW DELHI/ AGRA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood his ground on Sunday despite the Opposition’s growing clamour against his government’s move to recall 500- and 1,000-rupee notes, saying his decision will favour the country’s poor and middle class.
The Modi government abolished the two high-value notes in an effort to stop corruption, circulation of illicit funds or black money and counterfeits, and to choke terrorist funding.
“Uttar Pradesh ne bikau maal nahi bheja hai (UP has not sent a man who can be bought),” said Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha. “The corrupt people wanted such a government who will dance to their tunes, sleep on their bribes. Lekin aapne koi bikau maal nahi bheja (to Delhi),” he said at a BJP election rally in Agra.
He praised the poor and middle class for supporting him and launched a veiled attack on West Bengal chief Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati — staunch opponents of the notes recall. “Some people have lost everything… Do you want to become an MLA? Bring this amount of cash. Then the cash was hoarded. But these notes belonged to the poor and middle class,” Modi said, referring to Mayawati’s alleged fund-raising style. Some of Mayawati’s former party leaders such as Swami Prasad Maurya have accused her of “auctioning” tickets for the 2017 polls in
UP. The BSP chief dismissed the charges. “It is the BSP’s firm belief that the BJP and the PM’s good days are over and bad days will come soon,” she said.
West Bengal’s Banerjee, who led a march to President Pranab Mukherjee against the demonetisation exercise, came in for some sharpshooting from Modi.
“I know who all are protesting against me. The whole country knows who were involved in chit fund. Many people invested but because of the blessings of politicians their money vanished. And they are asking questions to me,”
He referred to the Rs 2,500crore Sharada chit fund scam in which several leaders of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress got embroiled. In her riposte, the feisty West Bengal CM tweeted: “Pradhan Mantriji, you are equating corruption with anyone who opposes your policy. Are you the only magician?”
The PM spoke extensively about the demonetisation drive at the Agra rally, although he has yet to speak in Parliament. Opposition parties are upset with his silence in the House.
“This is a test by fire,” he announced as opposition parties got ready to stall Parliament’s winter session. “The people of my country will pass it like gold.” People still returned emptyhanded from banks and ATMs because of the cash crunch, but Modi sought to look at the brighter side. “Banks will give this money as cheap loans to the poor and middle-class.” He admitted the hardship people were facing, but said the corrupt will be ruined forever: “Dand diya hai (We have punished the corrupt).”
Due to chit fund loss, hundreds were forced to commit suicide... they are questioning me... I asked for 50 days’ time, and I assure you everything will be normal. NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister
PM NARENDRA MODI’S SPEECH AT AGRA BACKING DEMONETISATION MAY IRK THE OPPOSITION AND REDUCE CHANCES OF PARLIAMENT FUNCTIONING NORMALLY THIS WEEK
NEW DELHI: The BJP turned up the heat on opposition parties a day before the second week of Parliament’s winter session, in an apparent bid to corner them on the demonetisation debate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at Agra, during which he touted the move to scrap high-value bank notes as pro-poor and pro-middle class, may further irk the opposition and reduce chances of Parliament functioning normally this week.
BJP chief Amit Shah quipped on Sunday that opposition parties were climbing “the same tree like rats, cats and snakes to escape the demonetisation flood”, and appealed to the people to help Modi change the country by giving him 15 years “from panchayat to Parliament”.
Addressing BJP booth workers in Chandigarh, the party president specifically targeted Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for opposing demonetisation. Shah said he was not surprised by Gandhi’s reaction because the last two UPA tenures were “synonymous with scams”.
The Congress will meet other constituents of the opposition on Monday morning to strategise ways to debate the demonetisation issue. “Monday morning plan. #Parliament Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha leaders of about 10 opposition parties meeting at 9.30 am. Hmmm,” tweeted Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Derek O’ Brien.
The main opposition party has asked the government to form a joint parliamentary committee for probing allegations of prior information on demonetisation being leaked to BJP leaders, among other issues. With the BJP launching a counter-attack on Rajya Sabha leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad’s remarks regarding demonetisation-related deaths, the opposition wants to change “the narrative” and bring the matter back on track.
Though the opposition wants Modi to respond to their questions from the floor of the House, he is yet to oblige them. “Why did he choose to speak at Agra when Parliament is waiting for his clarification?” asked a Congress leader.
Sources close to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said she may ask her MPs to protest more aggressively against Modi from Monday. While the Congress is in no mood to relent either, the government hopes that smoother disbursement of money through banks and ATMs in the coming days will blunt the opposition’s attacks.