‘Raise voice against draconian decision and join rally today’

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged people coming from all strata of society to raise their voice against the arbitrary decision to demonetise high value notes and join the movement which the party would launch from on Wednesday.

She said this in the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport shortly before leaving for Delhi where she is going to participate in a programme on Wednesday. She will participate in programmes against demonetisation in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar.

“The Centre has failed to bring back black money from the Swiss Bank and is now vexing common people. The Prime Minister is threatening us. The ordeal of common people is intensifying daily. They cannot get their own money due to this draconian decision.

” Earlier, while giving her reaction after party candidateswon landslide victories in the by-election, she said: “People have voted against demonetisation,” she said adding that all political parties should unite to protest against the Centre’s decision.

She said: “I will be in Delhi and so I cannot take part in the rally that will be taken out in Kolkata tomorrow (Wednesday). Common people from all walks of life should come out and strengthen the hands of the political parties. All political parties should unite as we are facing the biggest crisis,” she remarked.

Partha Chatterjee, party secretary general said that on Wednesday the rally would be taken out from College Square at 1 pm and will converge at the Dorina crossing. He urged people to join the protest rally. “The decision to demonetise high value notes was taken without any homework and hence it has affected all cross sections of common people very badly.” 

Senior party leaders will take part in the protest march. On November 24, rallies will be taken out in all the districts highlighting the ordeal of common people and highlighting how the Centre has failed to bring back black money kept in the Swiss Bank. Party workers and leaders will organise rallies in all the blocks on November 25 followed by observance of Protest Day on November 26.

Chatterjee said that the leaders in the districts and blocks have been instructed to get in touch with people coming from all walks of life. “It is a burning issue and so all should be united to make the programme a success. How could the Centre take such a step without any homework that resulted in shattering of country’s economic backbone,” he wondered.