Opp. corners govt over note size, stalking issue
Govt effort to pass Banking Regulation Bill fails
An assertive Congress on Wednesday refused to heed to government’s repeated requests to first take up a legislative business in Parliament and then debate its issues of differently-sized new currency notes and the Chandigarh stalking case, involving the son of BJP’s Haryana unit chief Subhash Barala. Congress members kept shouting slogans “Farzi noton ki sarkar nahin chalegi” and “Beti bachao BJP bhagao” in the Rajya Sabha, leading to two adjournments before it was adjournment for the day. Though the government made an effort to pass the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017, which would replace the NPA ordinance promulgated on May 7 this year, in the din, its efforts remained unfruitful as many Opposition members opposed it saying it is a very important bill and they need to highlight some issues regarding it. Even deputy chairman P J Kurien made several efforts to placate Congress members, who kept shouting slogans and demanded that their issues should be taken up first, instead of the bill. The BJP has issued a whip to its members in the Upper House for Thursday when the bill will be taken up.
Raising the issue after the House reassembled after the lunch break, Congress’s Kapil Sibal claimed that te RBI has specification for its currency notes, which is also available on its website, currency notes of `500 and `2,000 are available in four different sizes. Mr Sibal said perhaps India is the only country where same currency notes are available in different sizes.
The Congress had on Tuesday alleged that post demo net is at ion, two different sizes of currency notes are available, one for the government and the other for the ruling party. Congress demanded that finance minister Arun Jaitley should give an explanation. Mr Sibal raised the issue through a rule which demanded suspension of the business which the Chair rejected but allowed him to speak briefly about his notice.
Congress members then trooped into the Well of the House raising slogans.
India is the only country where same currency notes are available in different sizes
— Kapil Sibal, Congress leader