NEW DELHI -- Remaining firm on the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe over demonetisation, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had carried out the world's biggest impromptu financial experiment, without consulting with the economic minds of his own government.
Speaking to the media, Gandhi alleged that even Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian were unaware of the massive decision, adding that the move had resulted in nothing but chaos and suffering across the nation.
"He can give speeches at a concert, but he will not listen to the 200 MPs questioning him. It's a crucial question as to why the Prime Minister fears from entering the Parliament. There has to be a reason," Rahul said.
Further accusing the Prime Minister of only letting in his inner circle within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the scheme, the Congress leader asserted that the entire development reeked of a scam and demanded a JPC probe.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Opposition parties put up a united front against the Centre over demonetisation, as they formed a giant human chain outside the Parliament chanting slogans and carrying placards, fervently demanding Prime Minister Modi's presence in the House.
The chain began from the entrance of the Parliament near the media stand and stretched across the Mahatma Gandhi statue.
"The nation is standing in line and we are doing just that here," Rahul Gandhi said.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien, Janata Dal (United)'s Sharad Yadav, and the DMK's Kanimozhi were among the almost 200 Opposition MPs gathered in Parliament premises.
"Not a surgical strike, but carpet bombing on people", "Stop the persecution of common people" and "Save poor people", were some of the slogans on the placards held by the leaders.
Meanwhile, senior Union Ministers including Rajnath Singh, Ananth Kumar, are holding a meeting in Venkaiah Naidu's chamber to decide the government's strategy in Parliament.
Later in the day, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will stage a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar at 12:30 p.m. pressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rollback the policy in view of inconvenience caused to the general public.
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