With several top leaders of regional parties raising strong voice against the demonetisation of higher currency notes and its ugly impact on common people, RJD supremo lalu Prasad broke his five days silence over the critical issue and slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision and asked him to deposit Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of each citizen after December 31, as he had promised before the lok Sabha polls 2014.
Giving a colour of poetic justice to his silence, lalu said, “Defaulter poonjipati panch sitaron me, aam admi kataron me aur aap videshi nazaron me. (Defaulter capitalists in five star hotels, common people standing in queues and you are enjoying abroad).” He said emergency-like situation prevailed in the country with poor people hit hardest and nobody touching the tax evaders and asked logic of introducing Rs 2,000 currency notes.
In a series of tweets, the RJD boss said, “You are again promising to usher the country in a heaven. Should we believe that after 60 days each person will get Rs 15 lakh in bank accountIJ Even if people get nothing after you steps it will mean yours was a ‘farji-cal’ strike and you perished the common people in fake encounter.”
lalu’s harsh criticism came at a time when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was soliciting the support of other regional parties in her Opposition to demonetisation and seeking time from President Pranab Mukherjee to meet with a delegation. She reportedly spoke to lalu on phone and the RJD chief assured that if not he, some senior leader of his party would be part of the delegation.
lalu also posed some questions to the PM. He asked, “How many man hours and production lost due to people lining up at banks and ATMsIJ Tell the nation how much lakh crores of big houses are defaulters of bank and what strict action Government is taking for the recoveryIJ We suspect your decision and feel you only want to secure the interests of those big houses.”
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who had welcomed Modi’s move of demonetisation the very first day, is keeping a silence after the unending reports of the public woes. The JD(U) on Monday criticised the PM for being completely “insensitive” to the plight of the people. The party’s tweet said, “When the Union Government does not have a basic sense that cash always doesn’t mean black money it is useless to expect it will understand the sufferings of the common people.” In another tweet it said, “How people maintain patience when their children cry for food and others struggle for medicines.”