New Delhi: Parliament was paralysed on Thursday over demonetisation, with Rajya Sabha witnessing a sharp clash over certain remarks by Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, leaving a debate on the issue incomplete in the House which had a lively discussion on Wednesday.
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, 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.
AIADMK 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.
Rebuking Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for equating Uri terror attack casualties to the deaths during demonetisation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the remarks by former union minister are “atrocious, anti-national and an insult to the martyrs.”
“Such remarks shows frustration and desperation of the Congress’s top leadership following the positive response from the public to the demonetisation move. Azad has not only insulted the martyrs of Uri attack but in a way has also given a certificate to Pakistan sponsored terrorists,” Kumar said.
His comments have not only hurt the sentiments of general public but is also a blow to our soldiers who are working day and night for their country, he added.
“Such remarks are atrocious, anti-national and insult to the martyrs. Therefore we demand an unconditional apology from Azad to the people of India,” Kumar said.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister reiterated that government is ready for discussion on issues related to implementation of demonetisation and even ready to consider the opposition’s suggestions if they have any.