Opposition Unites Against Currency Ban,Mamata Works The Calls
NEW DELHI : Mamata Banerjee is working the phones to bring opposition parties together to take on the government in parliament and outside over the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes. The winter session of parliament begins on Wednesday and Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress will meet the Congress and other parties today.
Ms Banerjee will land in Delhi on Tuesday and leaders of her Trinamool Congress said they are attempting to gather about 100 opposition lawmakers to march on Wednesday from parliament to presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhawan to petition the President against the government’s notes ban and demand that it be revoked. Mamata has even suspended her antipathy for arch rival Left to reach out to it for opposition unity; the Left parties are expected to respond by this afternoon.
The Trinamool has also sought that all other work be suspended in the Rajya Sabha or Upper House as soon as parliament convenes on Wednesday, to debate demonetisation.
The opposition parties plan to attack the government, which is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha, over the hardships faced by common people because of a cash crunch since Prime Minister Narendra Modi suddenly pulled 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in an evening announcement on November 8.
There has been chaos and anger as currency notes have been rationed in new rules, leading to long lines at banks and ATMs and opposition parties have accused the government of being “anti-poor” and pro black money hoarders.
The ruling BJP’s parliamentary executive too will meet today to formulate a counter strategy, before meeting allies in the National Democratic Alliance.
The party faces potential trouble from allies like the Shiv Sena, which has crticised the move and the Shiromani Akali Dal, with the demonetisation impacting election funding just ahead of assembly elections in Punjab.
The government is firm that its demonetisation decision is pro-poor and designed only to punish those who have black or untaxed money.
In an emotional speech on Sunday in Goa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi choked as he vowed to continue his fight against the corrupt even at a risk to his life and asked people to give him 50 days to iron out the chinks in the implementation of the government’s demonetisation scheme.
PM Modi also met top ministers and officials beyond midnight in a review of the demonetisation scheme and its impact, to see how the problems being faced by people can be eased.
On Tuesday, the government has called for an all-party meeting to thrash out a broad agenda for the Winter Session. It will have to give in to the opposition’s demand for an immediate debate to ensure minimum disruption of the session and the support it needs to push two bills related to its mega reform the Goods and Services Tax, a unified tax it hopes to implement by April 1 next year.
“It’s a tight-rope walk. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has meetings with state finance ministers from November to tie up a deal on GST. A breakdown over demonetisation will hurt that process,” a senior BJP minister said.
