The Opposition will observe a black day on Thursday, exactly one month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the demonetisation announcement. Party leaders will meet in the morning to decide the form of protests for the day.
Opposition MPs would probably gather in the morning in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the Parliament House precincts.
This comes at the end of a month in which Parliament has been log-jammed on the issue, with the Opposition parties focussing both on the hardship that ordinary people have been facing since the decision was taken as well as the likely long-term negative effect on the economy.
The Opposition, which initially sought a response from the Prime Minister, then sought an apology on the floor of the House from him, after he accused his political critics of hoarding black money.
The Opposition leaders met to discuss if there was a way to resume the debate. However, they are still keen on having a discussion in the Lok Sabha under a rule that will permit voting, something that the government is shying away from though it enjoys a majority in the Lower House.
The Congress seized the opportunity provided by the former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani’s open expression of displeasure over the way the government was handling Parliament on the demonetisation issue to tell the government to heed the BJP veteran’s “good advice” to get the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha going.
“I thank him. Mr. Advani has brought the correct perspective to the whole issue. It is the responsibility of the government to make sure that maximum work is done during the session,” party spokesperson Sushmita Dev told journalists, adding, “Mr. Advani is one of the senior most Parliamentarians. We hope the government will take his good advice.”
“L.K. Advani,” she stressed, “is a very senior leader of the BJP and has been in Parliament for a long time. The BJP considers Advani ji as its margdarshak and guru. The BJP may not be willing to listen to the Opposition, but at least the party should hear out their margdarshak.” The BJP veteran had in his emotional remarks made it clear that he is “unhappy with the government’s floor management…and with what is happening in the House,” Ms. Dev said.
