Rajya Sabha to resume discussion on demonetisation, rocky session ahead for LS

Lok Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday after paying tributes to the members who passed away

(Samajwadi Party members Ramgopal Yadav speaks as CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury shows a Rs 2000 note in the Rajya Sabha on the opening of the winter session of Parliament in New Delhi)

The debate on demonetisation, which was kicked off on the first day of the winter session in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after suspending all business in response to notices given by a host of opposition members, will continue on Thursday.

During the course of a seven-hour debate, the opposition took on the government, saying the move demonetisation of high currency notes is "ill-conceived", and it had led to an economic anarchy in the country.

The government, however, rejected the allegation, saying the move is in the national interest, and has been hailed by the common man.

The Centre asked the opposition to clear its stand on corruption.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday after paying tributes to the members who passed away.

The Congress and the Trinamool Congress parties have sought an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on Thursday for a discussion on the demonetisation issue.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted all the opposition parties to cooperate and extend support to the government's crusade against black money and corruption. Read more.

Has demonetisation stopped stone pelting, curbed terror financing in J&K?

In the last few days after PM's daring move there hasn't been stone pelting on security forces.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has hailed the government's demonetisation decision and said it has let to decline in stone-pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Earlier, there were rates: Rs 500 for stone pelting (onsecurity forces in Kashmir) and Rs 1,000 for doing something else. PM has brought terror funding to zero," Parrikar said.

"In the last few days after PM's daring move there hasn't been stone pelting on security forces. I congratulate PM for it," Parrikar said.

According to a report in Deccan Herald, the incidents ofstone pelting have declines in the Valley ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes across the country.

While police handouts on the situation in the Valley stated that no incidents of stone-pelting were reported from anywhere in the past few days, officials said a major reason behind the sudden decline in violence was that the "money channels" of inciting violence have been sealed.

In the past, several complaints had cropped up that separatists were paying stone-pelters and other anti-national elements in big currency notes. Apart from taking on corruption, black money; the step by the Modi government has resulted in peace and calm in the Valley.

Security analysts believe that Kashmir will remain largely calm in the coming days as miscreants will run short of money to keep their network operational.

For the last four months, the Valley was brought to a standstill but now things are falling back into place with people carrying out their daily chores, schools being opened and students appearing for exams.

Barring a few law and order incidents at some places, hundreds of vendors put up their stalls at the weekly flea-market in the city on Sunday while banks across Kashmir witnessed a rush of customers in view of the demonitisation of 500 and 1000 currency notes, bringing some semblance of normalcy in the unrest-hit Valley.

Normalcy ceased to exist in Kashmir due to unrest triggered by the killing of Hizbul Majhideen militant Burhan Wani since July 8.

However, there has been increased movement of people and public transport, except buses, in Srinagar in the last month. Apart from private vehicles, auto-rickshaws and inter- district cabs were also plying in large numbers.

Defying separatists' call for protest, 95 per cent students appeared for class 12th board exams in Kashmir on Monday. About 94.88 per cent of the total 31,964 students appeared in the examination, an official of Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE), which conducts the examinations, said.(more)