Congress holds protest against note ban

Taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on demonetisation issue, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the PM was working for a select few only and was not concerned for the poor common man, who has been queueing up for hours outside banks and ATMs.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was threatening other parties raising voices against demonetisation and said she would hit the streets of Delhi tomorrow to protest against the Centre's move which caused immense hardship to the people.

West Bengal: South Dinajpur postal dept set up temporary camps in Indo-B'desh Border outposts, exchanging Rs 500/1000 notes from Jawans. pic.twitter.com/3pH9MnjBKZ

& ;mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) November 21, 2016

Ye jo lambi lines thi in mein aadhe toh political parties ke planted log the: Rupa Ganguly,BJP #DeMonetisation pic.twitter.com/jMesbhfQ8E

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 21, 2016

Delhi: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chairs meeting on #demonetization with export promotion councils pic.twitter.com/gubQjIh9pA

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 21, 2016

More than 5,000 petrol pumps of public sector oil companies across the country have started the cash-dispensing service to debit card holders as banks scramble to upgrade their POS (point of sale, or card-swipe) machines but availability of currency remains an issue.

On Friday , an SC bench headed by the Chief Justice of India startled many by its grim assessment of the possible fallout of people being forced to stand for hours in frustratingly long queues. There could be riots, it said. If a bench headed by CJI T S Thakur, who has 22 years of experience as a judge of constitutional courts, fears so, it could be true. For, judges have deep insight into the psychology of common people who throng the courts in search of justice.

Read: Five ways people are dodging 'black money' crackdown

Read: Will demonetisation succeed? There is more to black money than cash

Chandigarh: Police use water cannons on Cong workers protesting against #demonetisation outside venue where Amit Shah is to address a rally pic.twitter.com/1zOwykz4A4

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 20, 2016

As people across the country queue up to exchange notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, the income tax department has turned the heat on individuals, small companies and NGOs run by tax-exempted trusts.

The department has been issuing notices to individuals and companies that deposited Rs 2.5 lakh or more, asking them to show the source as well as I-T returns for at least two years.

As for NGOs, the I-T department has asked them to show their cash balance as on March 31, 2016, and on November 8 when Prime Minister Modi announced the demonetization.

Two recent measures announced by the Modi government to ease cash flow failed to have the desired effect because of rollout hurdles.

For those with weddings planned in the family, Thursday's decision to allow a one-time cash withdrawal of Rs 2.5 lakh was supposed to come as a breather but now it is clear that this will kick in only next week as the rules for implementing this measure are yet to reach lenders.

The move to allow debit cards to be swiped at select petrol pumps to get Rs 2,000 has also run into implementation hurdles.

Congress leader P Chidambaram today attacked the Narendra Modi government for obliterating everything about India before it came to power and said it believes there was no civilisation prior to that.

"As far as the present government is concerned, India began, civilisation began only on May 26, 2014," Chidambaram said at the Tatas-run Mumbai LitFest here today while addressing a panel discussion on 'Banking for the bottom billion'.

The AAP on Saturday reiterated that the Centre's demonetisation of high-denomination currency is the "biggest scam in independent India" and again demanded its rollback.

"What Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave to the nation is a scam in the name of demonetisation," Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said.

The AAP leader told the media here that the move to demonetise 500 and 1,000 rupee notes was aimed at benefiting big corporates by waiving off their bank dues. "Rs 8 lakh crore dues are pending against his 10 capitalist friends and this (demonetisation) move is (aimed) to benefit them."

He claimed Modi was waiving dues of big corporates who paid "bribes" to him (Modi).

Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah today said the Modi government's decision to demonetise 500 and 1000 currency notes has hit Pakistan-sponsored terror activities against India and flow of counterfeit currency has been terminated.

"It is a very good decision. It is the first demonetisation in digital era and will transform the lives of people," he said at the 'Jaipur Dialogues' event.

"The move has badly hit Pakistan-sponsored terrorism as funds to terror activities and flow of counterfeit currency have been terminated," Fateh, who is know for his strong anti-Pakistan views, said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the NDA government at Centre of pursuing "discriminatory" politics against West Bengal by not releasing new 500 rupees notes in the state.

"They have sent 500 rupees notes to Rajasthan. But they are not sending the 500 rupees notes to Bengal. The Central government has totally failed to act. Rural India is dying, they don't use card. What will they do? The whole of rural India is crying, farmers are crying. If food is not available what will the common people eat? Plastic??" Banerjee said accusing the Centre of pursuing "discriminatory" politics. (PTI)

Ameer aur ghareeb ke beech ki khaai kam hogi, aantankwad, ugrwaad aur naxalwad mein kami aayegi:HM Rajnath Singh #demonetization pic.twitter.com/q2y8O7nLB6

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 19, 2016

Indian Banks' Association said that all banks will serve only their respective customers on Saturday and will not exchange the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from customers of other banks.

The government cautioned on Friday that the misuse of accounts of housewives, artisans and workers or Jan Dhan accounts to convert black money into new denomination notes would invite prosecution under the Income Tax Act and would be subject to tax and penalty.

The Supreme Court warned on Friday that people standing in long queues for hours every day for scarce cash could turn riotous, as it asked the Centre to take urgent measures to end their ordeal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintained such a deep level of secrecy in executing the decision to demonetise two-high value denominiations, that even the top bankers of the country had no idea about the move till he went on air at 8 pm on November 8 to announce the decision to the world.

I think this will bring change in India, people might be suffering but it is only for few days; 'No pain, No gain': Mary Kom #DeMonetisation pic.twitter.com/gDBPQVgXxG

& mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) November 18, 2016

Have told petrol pumps they can give us cheques,we will give them cash that they can dispense-SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya pic.twitter.com/AdjoRSnf2a

& mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) November 18, 2016

• People who allow their account to be misused will be booked under I-T act if caught, says the government.
• Govt has asked people to provide information of such illegal activities to the I-T department so that immediate action can be taken.

Decision will benefit people in the long run, dishonest will fall in line: Venkaiah Naidu #demonetization pic.twitter.com/C7LOEMVGRQ

& mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) November 18, 2016

• Post demonetisation, Rs 60,000 is the new Rs 1 lakh in Uttar Pradesh real estate market.
• 1 lakh rupees, comprising Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, will be equivalent to Rs 60,000 in real state deals.
• Developers have discovered loopholes in this move sooner than expected.