The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the government why it did not exercise the legal option of letting people deposit the demonetised currency beyond December 31.

Asking the government to explain why such a window was not given to those who could not adhere to the December 31 deadline, Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul gave it two weeks time to file an affidavit.

"Why did you not exercise the option of opening another window (provided under law). You may have 20 reasons."
   

The court said this as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench that Parliament did give the option to the government but it chose not to exercise it.

"I (government) didn't think it appropriate to exercise the option," the Attorney General told the court.