Prime Minister says government open to discussion on all subjects
The Opposition launched a full-frontal attack on the government in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, using sarcasm, jibes and irony to take it to task for the “insensitive and inefficient” demonetisation drive.
It claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government never intended to punish tax or loan defaulters, but to ensure the unpaid debts of corporate giants were underwritten and paid off by the savings of the underclass at grave inconvenience to them.
Some of the Opposition parties demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee, or JPC, probe into allegations that the information on demonetising of currency notes was selectively leaked to benefit a few, including Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) West Bengal unit, which allegedly deposited a large sum in its bank account a day before the drive was enforced.
A wary government took the attack on the chin, wanting to not rock the boat on the very first day of the winter session.
The three goods and services tax (GST) Bills are likely to be taken up during the third week of the month-long session that concludes on December 16. A minister said the three Bills will also be “money Bills” — that is, the Rajya Sabha cannot vote on these. On Wednesday, the routine business of the Rajya Sabha was put aside to discuss the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency bills from the system and the problems people were facing.
The Lok Sabha met but was adjourned after obituary references as two current members had died during the recess. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is scheduled to reply to the discussion when the House takes it up on Thursday.
During the discussion, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati demanded the Prime Minister should be present in the House to listen to the concerns of the Opposition parties.
Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, seconded her, and later in the day demanded that the PM should attend on Thursday morning. It wasn’t clear whether the PM would intervene or not.
During the discussions on Wednesday, the government was receptive and Treasury benches neither provoked the opposition nor attacked it, not even when speakers made dismissive references to the Prime Minister, which, in the past, would have elicited howls of protest from the ruling party.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury said just as the 18th century French queen Marie Antoinette had reportedly asked people to eat cake if they didn’t have bread, “Modi Antoinette” had said, “If you don’t have paper, use plastic.”
Yechury also said there were reports State Bank of India has already written off loans worth Rs 7,000 crore of big business, including Rs 1,200 crore of industrialist Vijay Mallya.
Finance Minister Jaitley clarified the loans were not written off but restructured. He said the loans were sanctioned during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
“We inherited a terrible legacy,” Jaitley said, adding the liability of these industrialists would remain and the bank would continue to pursue it.
During the discussion, Mayawati questioned the PM’s claim that his government had planned demonetisation for 10 months. “Why, then, this mess? Why do you want 50 days more? Was that time spent to help some people with advance information?” she said.
Congress’ Anand Sharma also alleged information on demonetisation was leaked.
Alluding to the PM’s speech in Goa on Sunday, where he said his life was under threat and he might be killed for taking on the black marketeers, Sharma asked the home ministry to specify the threat to the PM’s life.
Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav claimed even Finance Minister Jaitley was kept out of the loop for the demonetisation decision.
Defending the government, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said the note-ban decision was in national interest and an attack on black money, corruption and fake currency. He also urged the House to support the government’s initiative. In the morning, the PM said the government was open to debating all issues.
Goyal said the demonetization decision was taken under “the provisions of the cabinet system”. “The Reserve Bank Board took the decision and sent it to the government, which lauded the decision and the cabinet approved that old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 are scrapped and new notes introduced.”
Goyal said the government or the BJP never referred to the decision as a “surgical strike”. “It is you (Congress’ Anand Sharma) who have, and I am happy that you have certified it to be a ‘surgical strike’ on corruption and black money.” Incidentally, BJP President Amit Shah had tweeted within minutes of PM’s address to the nation on November 8 to describe the move as a “surgical strike on black money”. Revenue Secretary Hansmukh Adhia had also referred to it as a “surgical strike”.
Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with Aam Aadmi Party represented by MP Bhagwant Mann and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan to give a representation to the President.
The TMC has planned to disrupt both Houses so that its adjournment motion is heard first. As Parliament does legislative business only in the forenoon on Fridays, it appears this week will be a wash off.
17TH NOVEMBER, 2016, THE BUSINESS STANDARD, NEW DELHI
The Opposition launched a full-frontal attack on the government in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, using sarcasm, jibes and irony to take it to task for the “insensitive and inefficient” demonetisation drive.
It claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government never intended to punish tax or loan defaulters, but to ensure the unpaid debts of corporate giants were underwritten and paid off by the savings of the underclass at grave inconvenience to them.
Some of the Opposition parties demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee, or JPC, probe into allegations that the information on demonetising of currency notes was selectively leaked to benefit a few, including Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) West Bengal unit, which allegedly deposited a large sum in its bank account a day before the drive was enforced.
A wary government took the attack on the chin, wanting to not rock the boat on the very first day of the winter session.
The three goods and services tax (GST) Bills are likely to be taken up during the third week of the month-long session that concludes on December 16. A minister said the three Bills will also be “money Bills” — that is, the Rajya Sabha cannot vote on these. On Wednesday, the routine business of the Rajya Sabha was put aside to discuss the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency bills from the system and the problems people were facing.
The Lok Sabha met but was adjourned after obituary references as two current members had died during the recess. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is scheduled to reply to the discussion when the House takes it up on Thursday.
During the discussion, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati demanded the Prime Minister should be present in the House to listen to the concerns of the Opposition parties.
Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, seconded her, and later in the day demanded that the PM should attend on Thursday morning. It wasn’t clear whether the PM would intervene or not.
During the discussions on Wednesday, the government was receptive and Treasury benches neither provoked the opposition nor attacked it, not even when speakers made dismissive references to the Prime Minister, which, in the past, would have elicited howls of protest from the ruling party.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury said just as the 18th century French queen Marie Antoinette had reportedly asked people to eat cake if they didn’t have bread, “Modi Antoinette” had said, “If you don’t have paper, use plastic.”
Yechury also said there were reports State Bank of India has already written off loans worth Rs 7,000 crore of big business, including Rs 1,200 crore of industrialist Vijay Mallya.
Finance Minister Jaitley clarified the loans were not written off but restructured. He said the loans were sanctioned during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
“We inherited a terrible legacy,” Jaitley said, adding the liability of these industrialists would remain and the bank would continue to pursue it.
During the discussion, Mayawati questioned the PM’s claim that his government had planned demonetisation for 10 months. “Why, then, this mess? Why do you want 50 days more? Was that time spent to help some people with advance information?” she said.
Congress’ Anand Sharma also alleged information on demonetisation was leaked.
Alluding to the PM’s speech in Goa on Sunday, where he said his life was under threat and he might be killed for taking on the black marketeers, Sharma asked the home ministry to specify the threat to the PM’s life.
Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav claimed even Finance Minister Jaitley was kept out of the loop for the demonetisation decision.
Defending the government, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said the note-ban decision was in national interest and an attack on black money, corruption and fake currency. He also urged the House to support the government’s initiative. In the morning, the PM said the government was open to debating all issues.
Goyal said the demonetization decision was taken under “the provisions of the cabinet system”. “The Reserve Bank Board took the decision and sent it to the government, which lauded the decision and the cabinet approved that old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 are scrapped and new notes introduced.”
Goyal said the government or the BJP never referred to the decision as a “surgical strike”. “It is you (Congress’ Anand Sharma) who have, and I am happy that you have certified it to be a ‘surgical strike’ on corruption and black money.” Incidentally, BJP President Amit Shah had tweeted within minutes of PM’s address to the nation on November 8 to describe the move as a “surgical strike on black money”. Revenue Secretary Hansmukh Adhia had also referred to it as a “surgical strike”.
Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with Aam Aadmi Party represented by MP Bhagwant Mann and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan to give a representation to the President.
The TMC has planned to disrupt both Houses so that its adjournment motion is heard first. As Parliament does legislative business only in the forenoon on Fridays, it appears this week will be a wash off.
17TH NOVEMBER, 2016, THE BUSINESS STANDARD, NEW DELHI
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