New Delhi: The winter session of Rajya Sabha opened on Wednesday with a united opposition mounting an assault on the government over demonetisation, saying it had led to "economic anarchy" in the country and alleged selective leak of the information before the announcement.
Alleging that the information had been leaked to BJP units and 'friends of BJP', a number of opposition parties demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into it.
Joining ranks over the raging issue, parties like Congress, JD(U), RJD, SP, BSP, Trinamool Congress, Left and AIADMK slammed the government, particularly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for making Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination notes invalid and said the "ill-timed" and "ill-conceived" step had severely hit the common people, the farmers and the poor.
The government rejected as baseless the opposition charge that there was "leakage" of the November 8 decision and defended the step as one taken in national interest and to end corruption and black money, which it linked to terror activities.
‘DECISION KNOWN IN MARCH’
Initiating the debate, Congress leader Anand Sharma said Sharma the information on demonetisation was selectively leaked. "Your BJP units have deposited crores of rupees (just before the November 8 decision)," he said.
He quoted some media reports to support his allegation, saying State Bank of India - the country's largest lender - knew of the decision way back in March and a Gujarati newspaper had in April published a report of move to withdraw 500 and 1000 rupee notes.
He demanded a probe into "how many people bought more than Rs 1 crore of foreign currency and bullion" since April. "This is a serious issue... you never kept secrecy (about the decision)," the Congress leader said.
BASELESS ALLEGATION: GOVT
Power Minister Piyush Goyal, who spoke on behalf of the ruling side, rejected as baseless the opposition charge that there was "leakage" of the decision "There is no politics in it. It is a step taken in national interest," he said, adding it will help the country in the long run.
With regard to allegations that the move has been timed to benefit BJP in the UP elections, he said such a statement itself implies that people support this step.
To demands that the government should declare the names of people who have Swiss Bank accounts, Goyal said such a step will make it difficult for government to obtain more information about such accounts.
Ram Gopal Yadav, who was expelled from SP but spoke on behalf of the paryt, joined Anand Sharma in alleging that information on demonetisation was "leaked" and termed it as a scam.
‘WANT PM IN HOUSE’
AIADMK leader Navneet Krishna said the RBI and the government have failed the rural people with this move which has threatened the saving habit of people. JD(U) Sharad Yadav, while seeking a JPC probe into the suspected leak, said the sudden move was akin to "jumping out of a moving train".
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said of the 130 crore population in the country, only 2.6 crore have credit cards. He took a dig at Modi with his takeoff on Queen Marie Antoinette during the French revolution: "We have Modi Antoinette who says 'If you don't have paper, use plastic'".
During the course of 7-hour debate which remained inconclusive, there were repeated demands by the opposition members that the Prime Minister should be present in the House.
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