Demonetisation: I don't see any farmers here, Mukul Rohatgi to Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: "I don't see any farmers here," was how Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi reacted in the Supreme Court when lawyers from the opposite side were assailing the implementation of the demonetisation policy by alleging that the district cooperative banks have been discriminated.

"I don't see any farmers here. This is all bogey," the Attorney General responded before a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur when senior advocate Kapil Sibal and others contended that the government was not allowing deposits of old currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 in the district cooperative banks on which farmers are dependent.

"Who is arguing for whom. Nobody is appearing for farmers. The petitions are by lawyers. They can't be considered as public interest litigations," Rohatgi submitted before the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.

However, Sibal, appearing for some of the petitioners, said, "The Attorney General should not make fun of us."

Rohatgi also said that the advocates have filed the petitions and raising objections on the guidelines that fixed a limit of Rs 24,000 withdrawal a week.

"They are making political arguments. Lawyers have filed petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution. Is it their own case?," he said and repeated that he did not see any farmer challenging the demonetisation notification.