Stop crying, attend parliament, Sibal tells PM Modi

New Delhi [India], Nov. 22 (ANI): Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal on Tuesday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend parliament to discuss the issue of demonetisation. Sibal told ANI, "I want poverty to be eliminated, but instead poverty is increasing. If an employed person is not able to get money and food to eat for what he is doing and standing in long queues, then it will increase unemployment.And if the Prime Minister thinks all this will help in weeding out black money, then it's his own version of eradication of poverty." "We want the Prime Minister to come to Parliament and attend the House on which we have been fighting from long and he should answer to the question. The way he cried today shows his concern for the people, who died post the announcement of demonetisation," Sibal added. The deadlock between the Centre and the opposition continued in the Lok Sabha for the fourth consecutive day as a united opposition stuck to its demand to discuss the demonetisation issue under rules entailing voting. As soon as the House assembled, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated that the Question Hour should be suspended to start the discussion. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, however, did not allow the suspension. Opposition members belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist CongressParty (NCP) and Samajwadi Party trooped into the well of the House raising slogans against the government. Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya with the opposition demanding the Prime Minister's presence in the House and payment of compensation to those who died of trauma while queuing up before banks and ATMs following demonetisation of high value currency notes. The House was adjourned twice till noon as Opposition repeatedly trooped into the well. Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi asserted that the demonetization of high value currency is just a beginning of his government's deep and continuous struggle against black money. Addressing the BJP parliamentary party in the Parliament complex here, the Prime Minister said the decision is in the interest of poor and middle class, adding that his government is dedicated to eradicate the evils of black money and corruption which have affected people in the last 70 years. (ANI)