Demonetisation row: Opposition leaders refuse to hold talks with govt until Nov 28

Mallikarjun Kharge said that if the prime minister or the Speaker calls an-all party meeting they would go

An attempt by the government to break the deadlock in Parliament by calling an informal meeting with opposition parties on Thursday failed to take off as they have decided to not hold talks with the government until November 28. Opposition leaders have been very critical of the unplanned manner in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on November 8, decided to scrap RS 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

The leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, along with united opposition parties, said that they are ready for a discussion on the Centre's demonetisation move, provided the prime minister convenes a meeting to discuss the same.

 

"If the prime minister or the Speaker calls for a meeting, we would definitely go. We will first meet the opposition (leaders) and then decide whether we will go to the meeting called by the home minister. Let the prime minister or the Speaker call for the meeting," Kharge added.

The leaders of several opposition parties then held a meeting in the chamber of leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that an informal meeting had been called and the government is ready to listen to the concerns of the opposition parties.