To kick off protest against demonetisation with rally at Jantar Mantar.
Kolkata: Determined to unite opposition parties against the Centre on demonetisation, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was threatening those who are raising voices against the note ban. She announced a nationwide protest movement that will kick off with a dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest against the Centre’s decision, which, she said, has caused “immense hardship” to the people.
“I have not seen any Prime Minister like this. He is vindictive and is constantly threatening people. He is snatching away the property and individual rights of the people. A Prime Minister should be sober. I again request him to leave his ego and call an all-party meeting to sort out the problem,” Ms Banerjee said.
Claiming that the Modi government has some ‘hidden agenda’ in scrapping old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, the CM demanded that the Centre put the information in public domain. “Eighty-five percent of the population is suffering. So much damage has been done in these 13 days. Rs 3 lakh crore of the nation’s GDP has been lost in 13 days, and Rs 14 lakh crore has been withdrawn from the market. What is the hidden agenda? What is the planning behind this overnight decision? This (information) should be made available to the public,” she said.
Ms Banerjee also slammed the Centre for discriminating on the issue of demonetised notes.
“The centre is allowing demonetised notes in petroleum, railway, banking and aviation sectors only in some states but not in Bengal and other states. We provide Rs 200 crore loan to the farmers from the cooperative bank during this time, but this year we have been able to give only Rs 25 crore. Cultivation of mustard, Rabi crop, vegetables and potato has been hit. If the situation continues, then there will be an epidemic,” Ms Banerjee said.
She said that her protest would continue until people get relief from this “financial anarchy”.
“I am leaving for Delhi on Tuesday. I will be there on November 23 and 24 and, if needed, could stay for another couple of days. On November 29, I will address a rally in Lucknow, then travel to Bihar (December 1-2) and thereafter I will go to Punjab,” Ms Banerjee said of her plans while addressing a press conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna.
The TMC, too, will organise a protest rally in Kolkata on November 23, followed by rallies in district headquarters and block the next two days, respectively. The CM invited all political parties to join her movement and made it clear that she is ready to join any political party’s movement on the issue of demonetisation. Criticising the “unplanned manner” in which the move was implemented, Ms Banerjee said, “Until November 8, they (the Centre) have rolled back nearly 15 of the decisions they had taken. This shows that they are confused. I have information that farmers will be given money for seeds and agricultural equipment.”
She also demanded a probe into non-performing assets held by the leaders of BJP, alleging that there could be “a huge scam”.
