New Delhi: Major Opposition parties met in Parliament on Friday morning ahead of the beginning of the session at 11 am, to discuss strategy to confront the government on demonetisation.
In the meeting, it was decided that the Opposition would continue to press for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence in Parliament and his participation in the debates on the note ban issue.
"Frequent changes in policies are causing harassment to poor. Hence, we are saying there are lot of difficulties, let us discuss sort them out,” Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.
A united Opposition had on Thursday forced abandonment of Parliament proceedings for the 6th straight day, after Modi did not return to the Rajya Sabha after the lunch break.
The Opposition has urged Modi to respond in person to the questions raised in Parliament on demonetisation, a move which most parties have criticised as being against the common man.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday described the move as ‘organised loot and legalised plunder’ and said the poor cannot wait for even 50 days for things to normalise, as requested by the PM.
The government had in a sudden move on November 8 declared notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 to no longer be legal tender from midnight. New Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes were launched soon after. However, long queues at ATMs and banks as well as deaths of several people standing in queues has raised the hackles of the Opposition and caused considerable public criticism of the move.
