Says fighting blackmoney menace was a ‘laudable step,’ seeks to know measures taken to minimise public inconvenience
BJYM workers wearing masks of PM Narendra Modi serve tea to people lined up outside banks and ATMs to get their old currency exchanged in Bhopal. The government will introduce a system in which customers exchanging defunct currency notes will be marked with indelible ink. Pics/PTI
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government yesterday surpassed a major legal hurdle after the Supreme Court refused to stay its notification demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes but told it to reduce the inconvenience of the people.
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The PM’s mother Heeraben Modi shows the new note she got after exchanging old Rs 500 notes
“You (Centre) can have a surgical strike against blackmoney but you cannot have surgical strike against the people of the country," a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice D Y Chandrachud said. “Carpenters, maids, vegetable sellers are dependent on cash. Are you capable of reducing their trauma? Your aim is to wipe out blackmoney but people are traumatised standing in queues for hours doing nothing,” the bench said.
“They (Centre) call it surgical strike. You (Kapil Sibal appearing for a petitioner) call it carpet bombing. The object of such measures is against the people hoarding cash,” it said.
Observing that fighting the blackmoney menace was a “laudable” step, it asked the Centre to “consider taking steps to ease the pain of the common people”.
Oppn unites
The government yesterday braced itself for a stormy Winter Session of Parliament beginning today with the opposition presenting a united face in seeking to corner it over the demonetisation issue.
Prime Minister Modi met opposition leaders and sought their cooperation. “We have launched a crusade against corruption, black money and fake currency, which is also behind cross-border terrorism. All parties should come together on this issue of national interest," he said.
But an unrelenting opposition decided to step up its fight against the government. Arch rivals TMC and Left parties, SP and BSP, got together at a meeting convened by Congress to formulate a joint strategy. There were some reservations over TMC’s proposal for a march to Rashtrapati Bhawan today to petition the President against demonetisation. They will meet again today to finalise their strategy on the issue.
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