Modi ji, not everyone in opposition is like Rahul Gandhi, says Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal late yesterday chided Prime Minister Narendra Modi for treating opposition members like they are all alike, that is, like Rahul Gandhi.

He tweeted that the PM shouldn't "coerce" the Opposition into coming on board with demonetisation by using tactics like "submission through CBI". Kejriwal was implying that the Congress vice president is easily cowed.

The Delhi CM was referring to a tweet by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee; both have found much common ground lately, against the ban on high-value notes. Banerjee accused PM Modi and the BJP of "vendetta politics" after the CBI summoned her Trinamool Congress (TMC) colleague Sudip Bandopadhyay. She said Bandopadhyay received three calls from the CBI, but that won't intimidate them and stop them from fighting the currency ban, PTI reported. Banerjee tweeted:

Why is BJP govt doing vendetta politics? Our party LS leader got 3 calls from CBI .Nothing will deter us from fight against #DeMonetisation

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 20, 2016

The West Bengal CM was grateful for Kejriwal's support and said so, effusively.

. @ArvindKejriwal Many thanks for your support on this. Many thanks Arvind

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 20,

2016

The BJP later said there's no vendetta politics. It asked why the TMC is up in arms about a CBI investigation if it has done no wrong, PTI reported.

"The CBI is an autonomous body. Bandopadhyay should cooperate with CBI investigation. It is TMC's duty to do so. Instead of crying vendetta politics to gain sympathy, the party should cooperate with the probe," BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said, according to PTI.

Last week, Banerjee called the scrapping of high-value notes - also called demonetisation - a "major catastrophe" and a "major setback for employees since independence."

"The draconian decision of demonetisation by the Central Government has drastically affected about 5 Crore workers in the country. It is indeed a major setback for the employees since independence," she claims.

Yesterday, Kejriwal tweeted to say that the BJP needs to practice what it preaches. Modi should first make sure the BJP accepts cashless donations before it "forces others" to do so, he said.

"Beggars should accept cashless alms, the sweet shop should accept cashless payment, urinals should be paid cashless, but pay the BJP in cash, old notes will do too," Kejriwal tweeted snarkily in Hindi.