Opposition paralyses Parliament over demonetisation

Opposition on Thursday paralysed Parliament, with Rajya Sabha disrupted over demand for the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his response in the demonetisation debate, which the government rejected outright.

The Upper House witnessed repeated adjournments but Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad's comparison of Uri terror attack casualties to the number of deaths due to demonetisation "crisis" forced the final adjournment for the day.

Members of opposition parties, led by Congress, created uproar in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha as soon as the Houses met for the day and it continued throughout.

The Lok Sabha could carry out business only during the Question Hour, that too amid the uproar, after which it was adjourned for the day minutes past 12 pm.

The Rajya Sabha could not transact any business.

In the Upper House, which witnessed about six-hour-long debate on demonetisation on Wednesday, the Congress and some other opposition parties pressed, from the word go, for the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House and a response from him over the hardships caused to people by the November 8 decision to make Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes invalid.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members, meanwhile, trooped into the Well and created uproar demanding that Karnataka release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu.

The uproar forced repeated adjournments of the House, whose proceedings for the day were ended minutes past 3 pm following a major clash between opposition and ruling members after Congress leader Azad compared Uri terror attack casualties to the number of deaths which occurred due to demonetisation "crisis".

Taking strong objection to this, the ruling side termed the comments as "anti-national" and demanded an apology from Congress besides seeking deletion of the remarks from the official records of the Upper House.

Azad, while demanding presence of the prime minister and asserting that the House will not be allowed to function till he comes there, said 40 people had died following government's decision on demonetisation.

"People are suffering because of demonetisation. The death toll has reached 40. In the attack by Pakistani terrorists (on army camp) in Uri (in Kashmir), even half of the deaths did not take place. People double than that figure have died due to wrong policy of the government," he said.

In the Uri attack, 18 army personnel had been killed.

In an apparent reference to the cross-LoC surgical strikes carried out by India in PoK after the Uri attack, Azad said, "There should be air strike on BJP....Your wrong policies are responsible for their murders."

He said since the prime minister had made the demonetisation announcement, he should come to the House.