New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) TMC Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose on Thursday said the alleged recovery of 'piles of cash' from the residence of a high court judge is an example of the failed policy of demonetisation and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready to face punishment to be decided by people for its failure.

During a discussion on the Finance Bill 2025, she said that at the time of demonetisation, the Prime Minister had said if his policy was wrong, people could give him any punishment they wished.

"What is more revealing of this failed policy of demonetisation than the piles of cash allegedly found and burnt in the home of a jurist?" Ghose asked.

"Is the prime minister ready to face the punishment of the people? ...because these piles of cash are a stark example that the policy of demonetisation has resoundingly failed. This government is a failed government," she said.

Ghose was referring to the alleged cash discovery after a fire broke out at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14.

She recollected that at the time of demonetisation, the Prime Minister said, "If his policy is wrong, please give me any kind of punishment you want".

Stating that sometimes even the Members of Parliament make some mistakes, Ghose said, "Some mistakes creep into what we say but there is one man who never makes a mistake -- the Prime Minister".

Participating in the discussion, M Mohamed Abdulla (DMK) said, "This Union government refuses to learn anything even from its mistakes in the past. Instead of adopting successful governance models, it continues to impose flawed policies, suppress states' rights and push its regressive agenda".

He accused the BJP-led NDA government of "destroying the beautiful principle of unity in diversity" of India with its "ongoing authoritarian initiatives such as 'one nation, one election' and 'one nation one language'." Alleging that the government is surviving on 'fake promises and deception', Abdulla said, "The people of India trusted it to bring economic growth, job creation and financial stability. Instead, they have been met with unemployment, financial mismanagement and policies that burden the common people while favouring their corporate paymasters who are funding them through electoral bonds". PTI RKL CS RKL BAL BAL

Demonetisation failure cited after alleged cash recovered at judge's residence, prompting calls for political accountability. Alleged discovery of large amounts of cash at a high court judge's residence was presented in Parliament as demonstrative of demonetisation's failure, with a member invoking the Prime Minister's earlier invitation for public-imposed political punishment if the policy proved wrong; other speakers linked the incident to broader critiques of government economic management, centralising reforms, and concerns about political funding and public accountability.