New Delhi: The Opposition parties today carried out a joint protest in Parliament against the NDA decision to demonetise old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. Around 200 MPs of various opposition parties, including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, AITC leader Derek O'Brien, BSP supremo Mayawati, JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva and others, staged a protest near the Gandhi statue in Parliament premises against the government's decision.
Also present were NCP leader Praful Patel, deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma and senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Janardhan Dwivedi and Satyavrat Chaturvedi. The leaders of Opposition parties formed a human chain near Gandhi statue in protest. Addressing the occasion, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said, 'The Opposition was protesting against the poor implementation of the scheme that has led to 70 deaths in the country.' He said the opposition wants a debate in the Lok Sabha on the issue under Rule 56.
He also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi be present in the House during the debate. The Opposition has been disrupting Parliament over the past four days over its demand that the Prime Minister be present in the House. (UNI)