Plea in Supreme Court against demonetisation of Rs 1,000 & Rs 500 notes

NEW DELHI: A plea was today filed in Supreme Court seeking quashing of the Narendra Modi government's decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes on grounds that it infringed on citizens' right to life and to trade, among others.

The PIL, which could be listed for hearing during the week, termed yesterday's notification of Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, as "dictatorial" claiming it did not grant reasonable time to citizens for exchanging the specified bank notes to legitimate notes to avoid "large scale mayhem, life threating difficulties".

The plea, filed by Delhi-based lawyer Vivek Narayan Sharma, has sought either quashing of the notification or a direction to the Centre for grant of "reasonable time frame" to citizens for exchanging the demonetised currency notes to avoid difficulties.

"Because constitutional 'Right to Life' and 'Right to Trade' of all the citizens of India is being infringed by Respondent due to unreasonable, unmethodical and dictatorial manner of implementing the said Scheme. Respondent has failed to follow constitutional rule of law, adherence to principles of natural justice and provide sufficient time to citizens of India to prepare for such phasing out of specified bank notes.

"As a result the lives, livelihood, existence, business, trade and education etc. of billions of citizens shall get affected, in innumerable, uncalculated and uncountable ways.

"The implementation of phasing out of specified bank notes, overnight, fails the test of reasonableness and care for its citizens by the Respondent Government," the PIL said.

The Prime Minister, in a televised address to the nation, declared that high denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will no longer be legal tender from last midnight. He said that the Government has declared a "decisive" war against black money and corruption.