PM has ‘broad shoulders’ to face consequences of demonetisation: Arun Jaitley
NEW DELHI, DEC 7: Asserting that the people have supported demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his Government has brought ‘Janshakti’ (people’s power) into prominence with the decision and flayed the opposition, saying it got “exposed” in Rajya Sabha by not agreeing to a debate despite his presence there twice.
Hitting out at opposition parties, he told BJP MPs at a parliamentary party meeting that Parliament in the past had debated decisions of previous Governments that had caused social tensions and conflict but they were not allowing discussion on a major reform like demonetisation.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said Modi asked MPs to spread awareness about a “less-cash” and digital economy in the same way they enroll people in voters list during elections and highlight the use of EVMs irrespective of which party one votes for.
Modi’s message was for members of all political parties, Kumar said Meanwhile In a bid to defuse opposition protests over the implementation of demonetisation and the distress it has caused, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ‘broad shoulders’ to face the consequences of the move.”So called seven decade normal had to be disrupted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the broad shoulders to face the consequences of the decision,” Jaitley said.Speaking at the Petrotech 2016, Jaitley took a dig at Congress and backed PM Modi saying that the demonetisation was a harder option which would leave footprints behind as far as the future is concerned.”PM had an option of doing what many others have done. There was an easier option but he chose the harder one,” the minister said adding that that harder option will certainly leave footprints behind as far as the future is concerned.”Decision of this kind has pain in transition, which is regrettable but had been factored in,” he added.Earlier, the Finance Minister blamed the Congress-led opposition for stalling Parliament over demonetisation and said the debate had begun and was happening in the House, but it was the opposition who has interrupted it.”We were ready for debate and still are. The opposition wanted Prime Minister to be present in the house so the PM Modi has been regularly present,” Jaitley had said in Rajya Sabha.Since the beginning of winter session of the Parliament, opposition has been demanding a debate on demonetisation along with Prime Minister Modi’s participation in it.
