NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked his party’s lawmakers to reach out to the public to explain how his sudden decision to cancel 500 and 1,000-rupee notes will help the country. “Janshakti’ (people’s support) is with the government on demonetisation, he said. “What some opposition parties are doing is undemocratic and the issue should be debated in parliament.”
Confronting criticism from the opposition and experts about its demonetisation drive, the BJP’s lawmakers at a morning meeting at parliament adopted a resolution welcoming the people’s backing of the reform introduced a month ago on November 8 with PM Modi announcing that it would flush out black money.
The BJP’s fist-bump to itself for its reform was not duplicated in parliament which has been largely paralysed with the opposition attacking the government over its move. First, parties wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain his decision, stating an outline from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would not suffice. After the PM agreed to comment, the opposition said what it really wanted was an apology from him for the hardship caused to lakhs of people.
“The opposition protests are made for television,” said the Finance Minister in parliament, daring the opposition to resume a crucial debate on the notes ban. Union Minister Ananth Kumar said that the country’s backing of the PM has been evidenced this week by his winning the online readers’ poll for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.
