Opposition to press its demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond to the demonetisation debate in the Rajya Sabha.

A united Opposition on Tuesday decided to escalate its attack on the government over the demonetisation issue by holding a “dharna” in the Parliament House precincts on Wednesday morning, setting up a meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee and holding street protests in the coming days.

Emerging from a joint strategy meeting, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “We will hold a dharna in front of the Gandhi statue [in front of the main Parliament building] tomorrow at 9.45 a.m. on the issue. It was also decided to meet the President. But the date is yet to be decided. We will go step by step.” The focus of the protests will be demonetisation and its fallout.

Opposition insists on Modi’s reply

The Opposition decided to continue to press its demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond to the demonetisation debate in the Rajya Sabha and also that the debate on the issue be held through an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha.

Several opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Janata Dal (United), the CPI(M), the CPI, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, attended a joint strategy meeting on Tuesday.

Apart from holding a dharna in the Parliament house precincts on Wednesday, the Opposition also decided to demand an obituary and adjournment of proceedings as a mark of respect for persons who are said to have died while standing in queues at banks and ATMs following demonetisation. Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge agreed that there was no precedent for such an action but stressed that the Opposition would still press for it.

The parties decided to hold street protests the plight of the common man, farmers, the reported deaths of people standing in bank and ATM queues and alleged leakage of information on demonetisation before the official announcement.

The demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into reports that certain corporates had prior information about impending demonetisation will also be on the agenda, the CPI(M)’s Mohammad Salim said.

Parliament was derailed yet again as a united Opposition demanded that the government pay Rs 10 lakh to the families of those who had died due to post-demonetisation problems.

In the Lok Sabha, the AIADMK joined the Opposition in targeting the government.