New Delhi : Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi again and demanded a “white paper” on demonetisation to bring out the truth about the note ban.
Daring Modi to disclose the actual amount of cash recovered since the announcement to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, Gandhi said, “Modiji should reveal how much black money has been recovered since November 8.”
He also sought to know when Modi would unveil in Parliament the list of names of Swiss bank account holders that the Switzerland government provided.
“We want to know who is the thief? Modiji has performed demonetisation ‘yagna’ for 50 families and one per cent super rich people of the country,” Gandhi told reporters here at the party headquarters on the Congress’ Foundation Day.
“Many people, including the poor, small traders, farmers, and the youth have suffered the most due to demonetisation and the government should give them compensation,” Gandhi said.
He questioned Modi on the “economic loss to the nation on account of demonetisation”, and pulled out a list of five questions.
“How many jobs and livelihood have been lost since this policy has been announced? How many lives have been lost due to demonetisation? Why has the government not paid any compensation to the families of the deceased?”
Gandhi asked the Prime Minister to answer these questions in a “white paper”.
Rahul Gandhi, who has strongly opposed the Centre’s demonetisation move, asked, “What was the process of consultation and preparedness followed prior to the implementation of demonetisation?”
“Why were experts, economists or the Reserve Bank of India not consulted before unleashing this draconian policy upon the people?”
He also said, “Will it place the names of all persons, institutions, and entities that deposited Rs 25 lakh or more in their bank accounts in the six months preceding November 8, 2016?”
Gandhi demanded an explanation from Modi as to what was the reason behind “snatching away people’s financial independence”.
The Congress party also put forward a charter of demands for the Modi government.
They include all restrictions on withdrawal of money be lifted with immediate effect; till the time these restrictions are in place, a special interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum should be given to all bank account holders.
All charges on digital transactions be abolished forthwith; the rate of rations distributed under the PDS system be halved for the period of a year under the provisions of the Food Security Act.
In addition, a special one-time bonus of 20 per cent be provided over and above the MSP of all Rabi crops, the charter of demands read.
One of the demands said that Rs 25,000 be deposited in the account of at least one woman belonging to each BPL family as compensation for the immense suffering caused to women due to demonetisation.
The Congress also demanded that the number of guaranteed work days and the wage rate under the MGNREGA should be doubled for a period of one year.
“The government should organise a special drive to identify and register all those who have lost their jobs since November 8, and provide them compensation at the applicable minimum wage rate for a time period extending up to March 31, 2017,” the charter of demands added.
It also said an income tax and sales tax rebate of 50 per cent be given to small shopkeepers and businesses. “The central government should compensate the state governments for the loss of revenue incurred on account of this exemption,” it read.