Projecting the apparent currency crisis in the country, the Congress is planning to hit the streets and attack the Centre. Indicating that it is for strongly opposing the Centre’s move to demonetise ₹1,000 and ₹500 notes, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi went to the Parliament Street branch of the State Bank of India here on Friday to be in the queue to exchange ₹4,000.
He said he was standing in the queue to support people and added that none of the crorepatis faced any difficulties from the Centre’s move. “I have come to exchange ₹4,000. I want to stand in the line. I am standing in support of the people. If citizens can face problem, so can I,” he said.
Congress members in Parliament protested at a notice pasted in the Parliament House branch of the SBI that only members can withdraw money from the bank.
“None of the crorepatis are standing in the line. It is only the common man who is facing problems. The Centre should not be for those 15-20 crorepatis but for the common man,” Gandhi added.
Later, addressing reporters, Deputy Leader of the party in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, said BJP president Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley are mocking the miseries of the people. Shah’s statement that Opposition parties have become poorer and that is why they are showing their frustration, irked Sharma.
“On 23 January, 2014, in a press conference by the BJP, they opposed the withdrawal of currency notes from before 2005. Our government ensured that in the transition period, there were enough new notes printed so that people were not inconvenienced. But the BJP spokesperson had said this would hurt the common man and the real culprits go free. Amit Shah should read his own party’s opinion,” Sharma said.
He attacked Jaitley for his reported comments that farmers should start using the banking system. “In which world he is living? Should a farmer go to the field with cheque leaves and credit cards? 60 per cent of the country’s people are farmers. Jaitley is trying to disgrace them,” Sharma added.
Maintaining that the Centre’s attempt is to divert attention from real issues such as unemployment, Sharma said a number of people were kept in loop about the Centre’s decision. “The Centre should make public of the names of people who bought gold and dollars for more than ₹5 lakh rupees, and those who purchased shares and securities in bulk in the last 15 days,” he said.
He said the decision was a breach of the RBI Act, and said the Centre has no right to put restrictions at people withdrawing from their savings account. “What right does Modi and Jaitley have to tell the people who have savings accounts, that we will put a limit on how much you can withdraw? This is a government which is insensitive. A government which is arrogant... Which has created a myth and carried away by its own propaganda,” Sharma said.