PM will participate in demonetisation debate, Jaitley assures RS

New Delhi, Nov 24 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday assured the Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the debate on demonetisation.

Replying to the opposition demands that Prime Minister Modi should be present in the House during the debate, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha P.J. Kurien said: "How can the Prime Minister always sit here. He is also a human being."

The Prime Minister was present in the Rajya Sabha to attend the debate on demonetisation till lunch break.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: "The Prime Minister should be present in the House for the debate to go on."

Hitting out at Azad, Finance Minister and Leader of the House Jaitley angrily said: "It has become very clear that the opposition doesn't want a debate. Now they are finding different ways to run away from the debate. Now, this is a new method.

"The debate should continue. The Prime Minister will participate in the debate. Keeping in mind the traditions of the House, the PM will come to the House and participate in the debate," he added.

Jaitley added: "There is no tradition that if the debate goes on for 15 hours, he will be there for that long."

Replying to this, Azad said: "When they (NDA) were in opposition they had demanded that the Prime Minister should be in the House during the debate on 2G spectrum."

Following this, the opposition members trooped to the Chairman's podium, only to compel the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman to adjourn the House till 3 p.m.