New Delhi: In the second edition of her street protests against the central government’s recent currency ban, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday trained her guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that he implemented the decision for “self-satisfaction without any strategy.”
“This demonetisation is just a decision, there is no action, no strategy to deal with it. Loktantra main aisa nahi chalta hai [it does not work like this in democracy],” Banerjee said addressing a rally in Delhi.
She described Modi as an egoist, whose government at the centre has lost its credibility. “When credibility is lost, everything else is lost. This government will soon fall as it has lost the very basic thing called credibility,” Banerjee, who is leading the opposition parties in their protest against demonetisation of high value currency, said.
She said the poor people have been denied access to their own savings.
“How will poor people eat food, pay for medicines, education. Did the Prime Minister think about all this before announcing his grand plans of currency ban? Modi government is trying to snatch away people’s savings. When our country’s economy was moving at a steady rate, the government brought in demonetisation that stifled the country,” she added.
Janata Dal United leader Sharad Yadav and actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan supported Banerjee by joining her rally.
Banerjee said the BJP government would not get any votes in upcoming state elections.
“They first took votes in the name of acche din [good days]. But now nobody will vote for them, not even their own supporters. Most of the industries are on standstill; labour and working class is not getting their daily wages and not able to eat anything. Why will anyone vote for them,” she thundered.
Banerjee alleged that the currency ban punished the poor instead of the corrupt.
“Look at the long queues at banks and ATMs where people stand and wait to exchange old notes for new currency. They are suffering. On the other hand, the corrupt are still comfortable,” she said.
Last week, Banerjee led a march to the President’s House to petition President Pranab Mukherjee to intervene on the issue.
Meanwhile, opposition parties continued to disrupt Parliament on Wednesday, demanding that Modi explain the reason for introducing the currency ban.
Opposition lawmakers formed a human chain outside Parliament, chanting slogans and carrying placards demanding Modi’s presence and statement in the House. Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned after the ruckus.
The stalemate has paralysed Parliament since the start of winter session last week.
On November 8, Modi announced that Rs500 (Dh27) and Rs1,000 notes were being withdrawn from circulation to combat black money and corruption. They have been replaced with new high-denomination notes of Rs500 and Rs2,000.
