The PIL said demonetisation of high currency notes infringed on citizens' right to life and to trade.
: A plea was on Wednesday filed in the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the government's decision to demonetise currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination on grounds that it infringed on citizens' right to life and to trade, among others.
The public interest litigation, which could be listed for hearing during the week, termed the previous day's notification of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance as "dictatorial" claiming it did not grant reasonable time to citizens for exchanging the specified bank notes to legitimate notes to avoid "large scale mayhem, life threating difficulties".
The plea, filed by Delhi-based lawyer Vivek Narayan Sharma, has sought either quashing of the notification or a direction to the Centre for grant of "reasonable time frame" to citizens for exchanging the demonetised currency notes to avoid difficulties.
"Because constitutional 'Right to Life' and 'Right to Trade' of all the citizens of India is being infringed by Respondent due to unreasonable, unmethodical and dictatorial manner of implementing the said Scheme. Respondent has failed to follow constitutional rule of law, adherence to principles of natural justice and provide sufficient time to citizens of India to prepare for such phasing out of specified bank notes."
"As a result the lives, livelihood, existence, business, trade and education etc. of billions of citizens shall get affected, in innumerable, uncalculated and uncountable ways," it said.
"The implementation of phasing out of specified bank notes, overnight, fails the test of reasonableness and care for its citizens by the Respondent Government," the PIL said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address to the nation, late on Tuesday declared that high denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 will no longer be legal tender from midnight. He said that the government has declared a "decisive" war against black money and corruption.