Bengaluru: Senior CPI Leader D Raja on Thursday said President Pranab Mukherjee should not give assent to the central government’s ordinance to make possession of a large number of demonetized high value currency notes a penal offence in haste, as it is likely to be misused and harass people.
“The President of India Pranab Mukherjee was Finance Minister of the country and he knows how the monetary policies are decided. So, he must have a close look at the ordinance. He should not hurry up to give assent to it because it is likely to be misused, and harass people further,” he told reporters here.
The Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance makes holding of old 1,000 and 500 rupee notes after March 31 beyond a threshold amount a criminal offence that will attract a penalty of Rs 10,000 or five times the cash held, whichever is higher. Furnishing wrong information while depositing the old currency between January 1 and March 31 would attract a penalty of Rs 5,000 or five times the amount. The very approval of the ordinance by the Union Cabinet is in itself an admission that demonetisation move had no backing of legal authority, Raja said.
“The very clearance of the ordinance – this in itself is an admission that the decision announced by Mr Modi was not having the backing of any authority of law. Now they say that through this ordinance the Reserve Bank will be safeguarded from several criticisms because it is RBI which gives promise to the citizens, but the Prime Minister made this decision. So, there are many lacunae in the decision announced by Narendra Modi,” he said.
Raja also said the decision of demonetisation has plunged the entire country into an unprecedented financial turmoil and chaos and it has been hurting the economy. “Every sector of our economy stands adversely impacted by this decision of demonetization. It has ruined the livelihood of thousands of working people and led to job loss. It has subjected the citizens to unimaginable miseries and sufferings. More than 150 people have died,” he added.
Talking about the talks between Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh and him, Raja said was to discuss the prevailing political situation there. The situation in Punjab is that the BJP-Akali combine is most corrupt and unpopular government and it has to be defeated, Raja said. “How to defeat. How to consolidate secular votes – that was the point was discussion,” he added.
Asked about seat-sharing in Punjab, Raja said it is for the Congress to decide. Asked whether he supports the demand of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asking the PM to tender resignation for failure of demonetisation, Raja said the PM should own up responsibility and the party was mobilizing people to demonstrate their anger and protest. “He (PM) said he would resign. Whether he respects his own words or not, we will see,” he added.
