Mayawati attacks Centre over demonetisation, seeks apology from BJP for its 'economic emergency'

Lucknow: BSP president Mayawati Tuesday attacked the Union government for resorting to "half-baked" demonetisation in 2016 and asked if the BJP would apologise for its "economic emergency" which compelled "rural masses to work as labourers".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, had banned the old Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denomination notes with immediate effect.

In a tweet, Mayawati said "Capitalists & super-rich may not have (been) affected much from the economic emergency of half-baked 'notebandi' but rural masses which is real India had (been) affected by it worst. People were forced to return to their villages and work as daily wagers for survival. Will the BJP apologise?"

In an earlier tweet, she blamed both the Congress and BJP governments for the poverty and unemployment in the country.

"The curse of poverty and unemployment prevalent all around in the country is the result of wrong policies of the Congress and BJP governments. This problem can be resolved only by giving work to each hand as per the BSP policy and firm resolve which was given shape by extending employment to lakhs among the sarv samaj by my governments in UP," she said.