Demonitisation not ‘ kadak chai’ but poison for ‘aam aadmi’: Kejriwal

New Delhi [India], Nov. 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi maybe describing his demonetisation initiative as "khadak chai" for the poor and not suiting the rich, but this was more of a poison for the "aam aadmi", said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrwial on Tuesday.

Participating in a one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal accused the Prime Minister of protecting his "corporate friends" and exploiting the poor.

"He has been claiming that the decision is an attack on black money, but it is an attack on common people.

He is protecting his friends. These businessmen pay Prime Minister Modi and in response the Prime Minister ensures that the income tax department does not conduct raids on these businessmen's house," Kejriwal said.

"You (Prime Minister Modi) say that the poor man is drinking "kadvi chai". But the truth is that, the Prime Minister is offering poison to them in the name of black money," he added.

Kejrwial further alleged that when the Prime Minister Modi was Gujarat's Chief Minister, he took Rs.25 crore as a bribe from the Aditya Birla Group firm.

"On 15 October 2013, the income tax department conducted raid on Shubendu Amitabh's house. He was the president of the group executive of Aditya Birla Group. His Blackberry phones, laptop everything was thoroughly checked. They found a ledger entry in his laptop stating that on 16 November 2012, the Gujarat Chief Minister was paid Rs.25 crores," he said.

"For the first time in history of independent India, a sitting PM's name has come in black money transactions," he added.

He alleged that the when the IT department filed an appraisal report on the same, the Congress-led UPA regime, at the time, deliberately did not take action against Prime Minister Modi.

"This raid happened in 2013. The Congress was in power. But they should have initiated action given that Narendra Modi was projected as Prime Minister' face for BJP.

Then it means that the BJP and Congress had deals between them. They must have thought that once Narendra Modi becomes the PM, he will help them in the Robert Vadra case," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal also urged the central government to rollback the demonetisation drive which has adversely affected the common man.

"We would urge the government to roll back this scheme. We are not against black money. If they want to implement, then give proper time to people. Plan it properly, we will support you. If they do not roll back immediately then this economy will be in peril," Kejriwal said. Earlier in the day, the Delhi Government passed a resolution asking President Pranab Mukherjee to direct the Centre to withdraw the "draconian" demonitisation scheme.

"This assembly resolves to urge upon the Honourable President of India to take necessary steps to institute a high-level probe to be monitored by the Honourable Supreme Court of India to look into the allegations that the scheme is fraud on the nation and that it has been launched to benefit a particular political party through its agents in black money," the resolution stated.

Source: ANI