Cash crackdown a fight for the poor, says Modi as Oppn attacks on note ban

"The decision on demonetisation is a movement to clean India," Modi told lawmakers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday defended his decision to abolish high denomination bank notes that has left the economy reeling, calling it a "fight" for the poor.

Modi's comments came days before the start of a regional assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, a battleground state that is home to one in six Indians and will help in determining his chances of winning a second term in 2019.

While the decision to outlaw 500- and 1,000-rupee bank notes late last year was part of a broader crackdown on corruption, the sudden withdrawal of 86 percent of currency in circulation had left businesses,