Prime Minister Narendra Modi today slammed the opposition for repeated disruptions in parliament over the ban of old 500 and 1,000-rupee notes, and said he is not being allowed to speak in Lok Sabha.
“The government has always said we are ready to debate. I am not being allowed to speak in Lok Sabha so I am speaking in the Jan Sabha,” the PM told farmers at a rally in Gujarat’s Deesa.
Stating that parliament is not being allowed to function, PM Modi also said that “happenings in parliament anguished our President, who has tremendous political experience.”
Earlier President Pranab Mukherjee had strongly rebuked parliamentarians. “For God’s sake, do your job. You are meant to transact business in Parliament,” he had said, adding the daily disruption of parliament is “not acceptable at all.”
The ongoing winter session has been marred by repeated protests and adjournments with the opposition taking on the government on the notes ban announced on November 8 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The PM also made an appeal to the opposition to help the country depend less on cash.
“From the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel I want to share something with my friends in the opposition. Yes, during elections we have a lot of heated debates. But we all call for increased voter turnout. Likewise, yes, you can oppose me but do teach people about banking, using technology for financial transactions,” he said.
