Protests a success: Opposition; flop show: BJP

NEW DELHI: The deadlock in Parliament on the demonetisation issue continued on the ninth working day of the winter session as the Opposition claimed the protests called by it across the country was a big success while the government maintained that its political opponents were a divided lot and the people, including farmers, Dalits and backward castes, were supporting the move.

The Opposition forced repeated adjournment in both the Houses of Parliament on Monday to press for their demand.

In the Rajya Sabha, Congress led the Opposition in demanding that Modi should sit through the debate on demonetisation and apologise for alleging the Opposition supports black money. In the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), S u d i p Bandopadhya ( T M C ) , P Karunakaran (CPM) and M u l a y am Singh (SP) expressed concern over the p r o b l e m s faced by people due to demonetisation.

They demanded that their adjournment motion notice be accepted and the issue debated under a clause that entails voting.

BJD moved from its “neutral position” with B Mehtab saying the issue has become a concern and asked the government to take initiative in finding a way out to break the House deadlock. NDA ally Shiv Sena supported the government but its leader Anandrao Adsul lamented that funds for rural cooperative societies in Maharashtra have not reached despite assurances from the PM and FM.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh intervened to say the government decision was part of its commitment to eradicate black money and assured that the PM will intervene in the debate. The opposition leaders, with Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi in the forefront, held a protest demonstration near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament House complex.