Patna, Dec. 26: RJD chief Lalu Prasad today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to choose a favourite "chauraha" (roundabout) where people can punish him for their demonetisation woes.
Days after scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, the Prime Minister had sought 50 days for his fight against black money, failing which, he had said, people could punish him at any chauraha in the country.
"Just two days are left before completion of 50 days, the time sought by Narendra Modi to fix things, but the chaotic condition arising out of demonetisation prevails," Lalu said after flagging off an " Akrosh Rath" for his statewide dharna against demonetisation on December 28. "He (Modi) should now choose his favourite chauraha where people can punish him."
After Modi on Sunday tweeted birthday wishes to his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif, Lalu had tweeted: "Plz afford to say few words of condolence to families of 105ppl who died due to ill preparations of #DeMonetisation.U kw why & hw they died?"
It was evident that Lalu blamed Modi for the deaths linked to demonetisation. Some had died while standing in long queues to get the scrapped notes exchanged or deposited into their accounts, some others at ATM queues.
"The Prime Minister knows why and how people died. He is sending birthday wishes to Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but not uttering two words on the deaths in India," Lalu iterated on Monday, seated next to a bonfire at his 10 Circular Road residence as the mercury dipped to 13.2 degrees C.
Lalu announced he would set off on a journey to other states against demonetisation and its aftershocks. He has also announced a huge rally against demonetisation at Gandhi Maidan, the date of which has not been announced yet, to which he will invite other political parties.
" Madari ka khel bana diye hai. Kabhi notebandi to khabi cashless transaction (He has made it a puppet show. Sometimes he calls it demonetisation and sometimes cashless transaction)," Lalu said. "Can he (Modi) say how the people of this country benefited from demonetisation? Daily labourers are returning home after becoming jobless. Crores have lost their jobs because of this senseless move." Lalu said nobody is happy with demonetisation. The people who chant "Modi, Modi" are not the real masses but RSS supporters who the Prime Minister mistakes for people supporting demonetisation, the RJD chief declared.
He also questioned the Prime Minister over delay in going after benami (illegal) property. "Who has stopped Modi from going after benami property? What is he waiting for," Lalu asked.
Earlier, Lalu's younger son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav had dared the Centre to arrest his family if they were found to be corrupt but to desist from maligning them otherwise. Lalu declared that if elections were held in the country today, the BJP would get nothing. He also predicted that the Samajwadi Party would again form the government in Uttar Pradesh and the BJP would be decimated after the Assembly elections there.
RJD state unit president Ram Chandra Purbey said 10,000 people would participate in Lalu's dharna at Gardanibagh. Hoardings and banners have come up at prominent places in the city to highlight the statewide agitation.
