'PM Narendra Modi Disturbed By My Allegations,' Rahul Gandhi Tells NDTV

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi led a fractured opposition as he addressed a joint press conference with Mamata Banerjee and leaders of some other parties in a renewed attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the notes ban today, also reiterating his allegations of corruption against the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, the Congress vice president said, must explain those corruption charges. The BJP has dismissed what it called Mr Gandhi's "utterances" as "lacking in maturity and gravitas".

Rahul Gandhi told NDTV after the presser, "The prime minister is extremely disturbed by these attacks and remarks that I have made. He is personally disturbed and upset and you can see it on his face. The fact is these diaries and tapes are true and correct." The Congress leader had alleged last week that documents and tapes seized by tax officials during raids prove that PM Modi had as Gujarat Chief Minister, received crores in kickbacks from the Sahara and Birla groups.

Beside Rahul Gandhi today sat West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who hit out at PM Modi over the ban on 500 and 1,000 rupee notes calling its impact on people amid a cash crunch a "super emergency" and alleging that "in these 50 days, our country has gone back 20 years."

"Modi ji, we await your resignation. If you don't, the people will throw you out of power," Ms Banerjee said, while Mr Gandhi alleged that the notes ban, which is aimed at eliminating money laundering, black money and the funding of terror has in fact had the opposite effect. "This demonetisation has done absolutely nothing against corruption. What it has done instead, is to leave people without any money." he said.

"They ask for the PM's resignation? The whole country is with PM Modi," said Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, adding, "The notes ban is to make India honest... It is clear who is troubled by Modiji's attack on corruption."

He said Mr Gandhi's inability to gather all opposition parties for his presser had "burst the bubble of opposition unity."

The Congress had invited all opposition parties for the joint press conference today, but the Left parties, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party or NCP said no. Uttar Pradesh heavyweights Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also declined the Congress' invitation.

While it cited a lack of coordination as its reason for staying away, it was Mamata Banerjee's prominent presence at today's event that made it difficult for her arch rival the Left to attend. The JD(U) too did not want to share stage with Ms Banerjee after she attacked its chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for supporting the notes ban.