18-20 people died in queues and PM was laughing: Rahul

 

Rahul said even Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was kept in the dark. — ANI

Mumbai, November 15

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday night accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “laughing” when 18-20 people died in queues outside banks and ATMs and termed the demonetisation of high currency notes as a decision sans rationale.In an apparent reference to Modi’s remarks in Japan and Goa, he said, “18-20 people died in queues (outside banks/ ATMs) and PM Narendra Modi was laughing. He should clarify whether he was laughing or crying.”He also claimed that BJP people were alerted beforehand about the demonetisation.”How can one explain the BJP people in West Bengal depositing crores in high-denomination notes just before PM’s announcement on November 8?” Rahul asked.”BJP workers were seen holding up bundles of the new Rs 2,000 notes, as seen from images on the Internet, before Modi announced this decision,” he told reporters in suburban Bandra tonight.”This move by the Modi government will turn out to be a big scam,” Rahul said.He also claimed that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was kept in the dark about the announcement.”I don’t think even Finance Minister knew about the demonetisation announcement,” Rahul said.”The PM took decision without thinking. We don’t want to reverse it, but at least resolve the difficulties people are facing,” he said.”Many economists say there is no rationale to this decision. They say it’s a decision based on political calculation,” he said.”The entire Opposition united against Modi government’s demonetisation move which has resulted in massive inconvenience for people,” Rahul said.”Go after the big players in black money. I don’t see that happening. We cannot let farmers and labourers stand in queues for months,” he said.Asked to comment on Modi’s mother standing in a bank queue, Rahul quipped: “Mine and Narendra Modi’s styles are different. I won’t speak about his mother.” — PTI

Kejriwal accuses Modi of accepting Rs 25 crore bribe from Aditya Birla Group

The UPA did not take action, says Kejriwal. ANI photo

New Delhi, November 15

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having accepted a bribe of Rs 25 crore from Aditya Birla Group while he was chief minister of Gujarat.While addressing the Delhi Assembly’s one-day session on Tuesday, Kejriwal said: “On 15 October 2013, the income tax department conducted raid on Shubendu Amitabh’s house. He was an executive of Aditya Birla Group. His Blackberry phones, laptop everything was thoroughly checked. They found a ledger entry in his laptop stating that on 16 November 2012, the Gujarat chief minister was paid Rs.25 crore…For the first time in history of independent India, a sitting PM’s name has come in black money transactions.”“This raid happened in 2013. The Congress was in power. But they should have initiated action, given that Narendra Modi was projected as Prime Minister’ face for BJP. Then it means that the BJP and Congress had deals between them. They must have thought that once Narendra Modi becomes the PM, he will help them in the Robert Vadra case,” Kejriwal said. “He has been claiming that the decision is an attack on black money, but it is an attack on common people. He is protecting his friends. These businessmen pay Prime Minister Modi and in response the Prime Minister ensures that the income tax department does not conduct raids on these businessmen’s house,” Kejriwal said.He claimed that when the Income Tax Department filed an appraisal report on deal, the UPA regime did not take action against Modi.“You (Prime Minister Modi) say that the poor man is drinking ‘kadvi chai’. But the truth is that, the Prime Minister is offering poison to them in the name of black money,” Kejriwal said, accusing Modi of targeting the poor through his drive to withdraw high-currency notes while protecting his “corporate friends”.  The chief minister also demanded roll back of the drive. “We would urge the government to roll back this scheme. We are not against black money. If they want to implement, then give proper time to people. Plan it properly, we will support you. If they do not roll back immediately then this economy will be in peril,” Kejriwal said.Earlier in the day, the Delhi Government passed a resolution asking President Pranab Mukherjee to direct the central government to withdraw the “draconian” demonitisation drive.“This assembly resolves to urge upon the Honourable President of India to take necessary steps to institute a high-level probe to be monitored by the Honourable Supreme Court of India to look into the allegations that the scheme is fraud on the nation and that it has been launched to benefit a particular political party through its agents in black money,” the resolution stated. — ANI

Modi govt has turned people into beggars: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PTI file photo

Kolkata, November 15

Accusing the Modi government of turning the people of the country into beggars by the demonetisation move, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she would meet President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow on the issue irrespective of whether other parties join her or not.“Tomorrow I am meeting the President on demonetisation issue. I will be meeting him with 40 of my MPs. I have spoken to various political parties. I have spoken to Rahul Gandhi, Nitish Kumar, Naveen Patnaik, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal.“If they want to join me, it is good. If not, then I will go alone with my MPs. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah is likely to join me,” Banerjee told reporters at the airport here before leaving for New Delhi.Asked about some political parties’ comments that it was too early to meet the President on the issue, she said, “It is their choice. You need to call the doctor before the patient is dead. There is no use of calling a doctor after a patient expired. You need to meet the President right now. I want all political parties to meet the President,” she said.“I am ready to stand behind. Let them (other political parties) take the front stage but they should meet the President,” she said.Banerjee’s move to play a pivotal role in uniting the opposition against BJP has been throttled by CPI(M) with its general secretary Sitaram Yechury yesterday stating that the party will wait to see what position the government takes in the matter in Parliament on the issue and “who stands where”.She remarked, “There are thousands of areas where there are no proper banking or post office facilities. What will the people there do ? The people of this country have been turned into beggars due to demonetisation move.”     Later, in a tweet, Banerjee charged the central government with pursuing discrimination in dealing with the demonetisation issue.“Old Rs 500/1,000 notes allowed in railways, petrol pumps. NHAI exempted. But no exemption for state sector agriculture, co-operatives. No exemption for patients in private hospitals, nursing homes or for non-prescription medicines. Why this discrimination? The situation is serious. Very grim. People are suffering,” she tweeted. — PTI

Congress-led opposition set to corner govt in Parliament tomorrow

An all party meet underway in Parliament on Tuesday. ANI photo

New Delhi, November 15

A Congress-led opposition on Tuesday came together seeking to pin down the government on the demonetisation issue in the winter session of Parliament beginning tomorrow but a consensus eluded on TMC’s proposed march to Rashtrapati Bhavan for meeting the President.The leaders will meet again tomorrow to finalise the strategy on the issue agreeing at the meeting to use “all parliamentary tools including a demand for constituting a joint parliamentary committee to go into the issue and hold the government to account.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)On its part, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her party will go ahead with its plans to meet the President tomorrow. Representatives of the National Conference and AAP are likely to accompany the TMC delegation.At a meeting of 13 opposition parties including arch rivals TMC and CPI-M, besides BSP, SP, JD-U and DMK, opposition leaders unanimously concluded that it was too early to visit the President on the issue which must first be raised adequately in parliamentary forums.Various parties have separately given adjournment notices in Lok Sabha and for suspension of proceedings in Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue and highlight the plight of the common man.“So far as the march is concerned, there was unanimous decision by everybody that the march tomorrow is too early. As an opposition party, we must have a march in due course of time, but not on the very first day. On first day of Parliament, we must hold a discussion inside the House.“There was an overwhelming consensus that there is no need to rush to Rashtrapati Bhavan on the very first day before bringing this issue before Parliament,” Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said after the meeting. — PTI