Modi prefers Jan Sabha to Lok Sabha to speak on note ban

Deesa, Gujarat: “I am not bein­g allowed to speak in Parliament on d­emonetisation,” Prime Minister Na­re­n­d­ra said on Saturday, countering th­e Opposition’s allegations of running aw­ay from a debate on the demonetisation.

“We are ready to debate on note ban but I am not being allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha so I am speaking in a Jan Sabha (public meeting),” a combative Modi said at a farmers’ rally in Banaskantha district in his home state.

“Parliament is not being allowed to function. What is happening in Parliament has even anguished our President, who has tremendous political experience.”

Defending demonetisation, the Prime Minister said that it has empowered poor and will help in eradicating corruption and menace of black money.

"For how long can poor of India be told to pay for houses in cash? For how long will poor be asked - you want Pucca bill or Kuccha bill," he asked.

"India wants to progress. Corruption and black money is slowing our progress and adversely affecting the poor. These evils have to end," he said. "Who is unhappy with corruption?

Not those perpetrating corruption...it is the poor, the common citizens who are unhappy. Merely talking about the poor is different from working for the poor, something that the NDA government is always doing," he said in an apparent dig at Opposition parties which have claimed that the demonetisaton is affecting poor adversely.

"You must have seen how bank officials and others who have stashed huge amount of black money are being caught.

They thought they can escape through back channels but they didn't know that Modi has installed cameras in the back channels as well," he said.

He also said that demonetisation has broken the backbone of terrorism and Naxalism. "I am fighting against terrorism as fake currency is fuelling and funding their activities.

With demonetisation, we have been successful in weakening the hands of terrorists and Naxalities," he said.