E-Paper
Parliament winter session: Congress to question legality of Rs 2,000 note
Parliament is bracing for a stormy start to the second week of the winter session as opposition parties push the Prime Minister to appear in the House to answer questions on a shock recall of high-value currency almost two weeks ago.
Prefer HTon Google
Parliament is bracing for a stormy start to the second week of the winter session as opposition parties attempt to push the Prime Minister to appear in the House to answer questions on a shock recall of high-value currency almost two weeks ago.
The Congress says it plans to raise niggling questions over alleged illegalities in introducing the new Rs 2,000 note.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma told agencies the introduction of Rs 2,000 notes was an “illegal act” as a notification required by law hadn't been issued -- ignoring what is “mandatory under the law”.
“The PM is squarely responsible for plunging the country into financial anarchy. Circulation of this illegal new currency of Rs 2000 contradicts government’s move to control black money circulation,” Sharma told PTI.
The new currency note has also run into separate controversies over reports that it runs colour and mentions the currency value in the devnagari numeric script, which some people say runs contrary to laws.
But the government appeared in no mood to relent. “We are ready to discuss and are open to suggestions from opposition but demonetization will not be rolled back,’ Arjun Ram Meghwal, minister of state for finance told HT.
Both houses were repeatedly stalled during the first week of the winter session as the government and Opposition clashed over PM Narendra Modi’s move to scrap Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes to stamp out illegal cash and counterfeit currency.
The government has blamed the Congress and other parties of being hand-in-glove with black money hoarders while opposition parties have blamed that bumpy implementation of the plan has hurt the poor and the marginalized.
