Demonetisation has failed: Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee slam PM Modi's initiative

India's Congress party vice president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee slammed prime minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, saying it had failed to reduce corruption and arrest the laundering of black money.

The Congress vice-president slammed the Modi government for failing to tackle the problem of cash crunch following demonetisation and said the measure had only made things more miserable for the poor and had increased unemployment in the country. Calling demonetisation a "mega scam," Mamata Banerjee said the Modi government had lost its credibility and become "baseless" and "faceless" in the name of cashlessness.

Here are the key points from their joint press conference:

• December 30 is about to come and the situation is the same. The motive of demonetisation has failed completely: Rahul Gandhi
   
• PM should answer the nation, that was the real motive of demonetisation and what will he do for those affected by it: Rahul Gandhi
   
• Demonetisation had no impact on corruption and black money. A new black market has emerged to convert black money into white: Rahul Gandhi
   
• Modi had said good days (acche din) will come, is this his idea of good days : Mamata Banerjee
   
• All opposition parties will make a common minimum agenda programme: Mamata Banerjee
   
• The Modi government has become baseless and faceless in the name of cashlessness: Mamata Banerjee 
   
• Demonetisation is a mega scam and the biggest one after independence: Mamata Banerjee
   
• They do whatever they feel like, federal structure has been totally destroyed. It is not an emergency, it is a super emergency: Mamata Banerjee
   
• This is a fearless government, they do not care about anything: Mamata Banerjee
   
• If things remain unresolved even after 50 days, will PM Modi take responsibility to resign as PM of the country?: Mamata Banerjee
   
• This has sent the country 20 years back in time: Mamata Banerjee 

(WION)