Opposition unites against note pullout - Call for probe into 'selective leak' of decision stalls House

Sanjay K. Jha, TT, New Delhi, Nov. 21: The threat of a washout looms over Parliament's winter session with the Opposition determined not to let the Houses function unless the government forms a joint parliamentary committee to probe allegations of a selective leak of its demonetisation plan. As of today, the government has ignored the demand, which is fuelled by a belief that the shortening bank queues do not reflect an easing crisis and that the demonetisation's long-term effects would cripple the economy.

The Opposition parties had met this morning to draw up a joint action plan, which included a dharna at the Parliament complex and a march to the President.

A public rally by the entire Opposition is also under consideration, with a decision to be taken when all these parties meet again tomorrow, but a "Bharat bandh" that some have proposed looks unlikely.

One point that all the Opposition members agreed on was that the government would not be let off the hook without a joint parliamentary committee and a censure motion.

Asked why the Opposition wanted to paralyse Parliament, senior Congress member Anand Sharma said the nation needed to be made aware of the devastation that the demonetisation drive was likely to cause.

"A false impression is being created by the government that the decision had caused only minor problems, which had been tackled successfully. The truth is that the long queues and the immediate problems caused by the cash crunch are only the symptoms of a much bigger crisis," Sharma told The Telegraph.

"The real impact will be seen in retrenchments, shutdowns, low economic activities, an investment drought and a contraction of the economy. As a responsible Opposition, we must tell the truth before the nation."

Among the parties at the meeting were the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamul, DMK, Nationalist Congress Party, CPM, CPI, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal United and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

Rahul Gandhi attended an Opposition strategy meeting for the first time, signalling his willingness to deal with other parties, a task so far handled by Sonia Gandhi.

After the meeting, Rahul hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Prime Minister is on a different level. He does not talk to anyone, does not listen to his ministers and acts only on his whims," he said.

"This decision will help only the Prime Minister's 15-20 (corporate) friends: their loans will be written off. The poor standing in the queue will gain nothing."

Rahul met a large number of people early this morning when he visited ATMs at several places in Delhi.

Asked about the differences among the Opposition parties in their approach to battling the demonetisation, Congress spokesperson Jyotiraditya Scindia claimed the "entire Opposition is united".

"They feel it is their duty to stand with the people, who are facing an unprecedented crisis," he said.

Trinamul has demanded a rollback of the demonetisation while the Congress and several other parties have only alleged an ill-planned implementation. Senior Congress politicians, however, insisted that there was a unity of purpose and only the articulation of concerns was different.

"Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, 'PM badlo, note nahin (Change the PM, not currency notes)'. We all agree with his standpoint but being a responsible party, we cannot demand the Prime Minister's resignation when there is no possibility in sight," a Congress source said.

"But many of our leaders suggested there should be a referendum on the Prime Minister's decision."

Opposition members have also objected to the Prime Minister's absence from Parliament. They argue that Modi's disregard for the demands to attend the House, while addressing five rallies since the demonetisation, is a deliberate affront to Parliament.

"The least the PM could have done is be present in the House and answer questions," Scindia said. "He gives lectures at public rallies, speaks about the issue at rock concerts, but avoids Parliament."

He criticised the Prime Minister for addressing an election rally in Agra on a day a train disaster killed over 100 people barely 200km away.

"Modi should have gone to the accident site if he was present nearby," Scindia alleged.

"He is selling the dream of bullet trains: Rs 1 lakh crore is being invested for that. This money should been used in track renewals."