New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS): BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday criticised the Centre's apathy towards people's hardships and said the Opposition would not let the demonetisation debate in parliament continue unless Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the house.

"All Opposition parties have decided not to go ahead with the debate over the demonetisation unless Modiji comes to the house," Mayawati told reporters in the Parliament premises here. 

Attacking the Prime Minister, Mayawati said: "If he is serious about the people, then he must come and speak."

"The stand which my party (Bahujan Samaj Party) took yesterday (Wednesday) was supported by all the opposition parties in the house. We had demanded the presence of Modiji," the BSP leader added.

She also accused the government of not being serious about problems faced by the common man. 

"These people are not serious. They are not seeing the pain and suffering of the common man across the country."

The Rajya Sabha had on Wednesday taken up discussion on government's decision to spike Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in order to curb "black money" and "corruption".

The decision was taken on November 8. The Rajya Sabha faced repeated adjournments on Thursday after the members raised slogans against the government and demanded the presence of the Prime Minister in the house.