PM carried out the world’s biggest ‘impromptu financial experiment’: Rahul

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 23, 2016: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi had carried out the world’s biggest impromptu financial experiment without consulting with the economic minds of this own government.

Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Rahul alleged that even the finance minister Arun Jaitley and the chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian were unaware of the decision to demonetise notes, adding that the move had resulted in nothing but chaos and suffering across the nation.

“He can give speeches at a concert, but he will not listen to the 200 MPs questioning him. It’s a crucial question as to why the Prime Minister fears entering the Parliament. There has to be a reason,” Rahul said.

The Congress leader said the development reeked of a scam and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe. The opposition parties have accused the Prime Minister of leaking information about demonetisation to his inner circle in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Opposition parties on Wednesday put up a united front against the Centre against demonetisation and they formed a giant human chain outside Parliament while chanting slogans and carrying placards, demanding Prime Minister Modi’s presence in the House.

The chain began from the entrance of Parliament near the media stand and stretched across the Mahatma Gandhi statue.

“The nation is standing in line and we are doing just that here,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien, Janata Dal (United)’s Sharad Yadav, and the DMK’s Kanimozhi were among the almost 200 opposition MPs gathered in Parliament.

“Not a surgical strike, but carpet bombing on people”, “Stop the persecution of common people” and “Save poor people -- were some of the slogans on placards held by the leaders.

Senior ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Ananth Kumar, held a meeting in BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu’s chamber to decide the government’s strategy in Parliament.

Opposition party TMC will stage a sit-in protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi at 12:30pm on Wednesday to demand the rollback of demonetisation over the inconvenience caused to people.