The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to give an urgent hearing to a petition to quash the November 8 government notification demonetising Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes without providing the poor a reasonable opportunity to organise their lives.
A Bench led by Justice Anil R. Dave, however, agreed to hear the petition on November 15, provided the petition was numbered by the administrative side of the Supreme Court and listed for hearing on that day next week.
The Centre also did not take any chances and has filed a caveat in the case in order to prevent the court from passing any ex-parte orders.
The writ petition filed by Supreme Court advocate Sangam Lal Pandey said the scrapping of the high-denomination currency was implemented from November 8-9 midnight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government was constrained to take this measure to fight the black money menace.
Mr. Pandey's petition, however, terms the announcement a “Tughlaki Farman” - a term fashioned after the medieval Indian ruler Mohammed bin Tughlaq whose decisions to change the capital from Delhi and currency had boomeranged.
The petition sought to “quash this illegal and arbitrary announcement without giving any opportunity to the poor citizens of India”.
It has asked the apex court to direct the government “to provide a stipulated time to citizens for making alternative arrangements for necessary activities, may it be medical, educational, weddings, farming, etc.
Mr. Pandey, who is a party in person, claimed to have received information that several private hospitals have refused to take payment in cash. This may delay “serious operations” scheduled for today or tomorrow, he said.
He said thousands of weddings scheduled during successive days from November 9 to 11 may have to be cancelled.
“A large number of people are suffering,” the petition said.
A similar petition against the November 8 demonetization has been filed by another advocate, Vivek Narayan Sharma. But there has been so far no plea made for an urgent hearing in this petition.
A Bench led by Justice Anil R. Dave, however, agreed to hear the petition on November 15, provided the petition was numbered by the administrative side of the Supreme Court and listed for hearing on that day next week.
The Centre also did not take any chances and has filed a caveat in the case in order to prevent the court from passing any ex-parte orders.
The writ petition filed by Supreme Court advocate Sangam Lal Pandey said the scrapping of the high-denomination currency was implemented from November 8-9 midnight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government was constrained to take this measure to fight the black money menace.
Mr. Pandey's petition, however, terms the announcement a “Tughlaki Farman” - a term fashioned after the medieval Indian ruler Mohammed bin Tughlaq whose decisions to change the capital from Delhi and currency had boomeranged.
The petition sought to “quash this illegal and arbitrary announcement without giving any opportunity to the poor citizens of India”.
It has asked the apex court to direct the government “to provide a stipulated time to citizens for making alternative arrangements for necessary activities, may it be medical, educational, weddings, farming, etc.
Mr. Pandey, who is a party in person, claimed to have received information that several private hospitals have refused to take payment in cash. This may delay “serious operations” scheduled for today or tomorrow, he said.
He said thousands of weddings scheduled during successive days from November 9 to 11 may have to be cancelled.
“A large number of people are suffering,” the petition said.
A similar petition against the November 8 demonetization has been filed by another advocate, Vivek Narayan Sharma. But there has been so far no plea made for an urgent hearing in this petition.