MUMBAI: Congress workers on Wednesday staged a protest near the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headquarters, demanding a white paper on the deteriorating economy post demonetisation and resignation of RBI Governor Urjit Patel. The workers were detained by the police and later let off.
“The government cannot stop people from withdrawing their hard-earned money from banks. The RBI under Mr. Patel has lost its credibility and has become a branch of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. We stare at the economic anarchy,” said All India Congress Committee spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
Describing the Modi government as a ‘golmaal sarkar’, he said the government refuses to answer questions that under which law, restrictions are imposed on people from withdrawing their own money.
Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam blamed the RBI Governor for hardships faced by the public. “Demonetisation is the world’s biggest scam.”
The Congress protest march was not allowed to proceed from the bus depot outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The road leading to the RBI building was barricaded so that the protesters could not go beyond the General Post Office.
Congress legislators Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan, Varsha Gaikwad, Bhai Jagtap, Amit Jhanak, and senior leaders Narayan Rane, Harshwardhan Patil, Suresh Shetty and Priya Dutt were present. Later, delegations of Congress leaders in Mumbai and Nagpur went to the respective RBI offices to hand over their memoranda.
The Congress now plans to take the ‘Jan Vedana Andolan’ to every Assembly constituency of the country. “The Prime Minister prefers Maan ki Baat but chooses to ignore jan ki baat . He cannot answer uncomfortable questions and that is the reason why the ruling BJP despite its majority chooses to disrupt Parliament. We want to tell the people that demonetisation is nothing but a scam,” said Mr. Surjewala.
The Congress also raised questions over the probe into the seizure of a large amount of cash in the vehicles of banks governed by BJP leaders, including MP Preetam Munde and State Minister of Co-operation Subhash Deshmukh. “A bank administered by BJP chief Amit Shah showed deposits worth ₹200 crore. One Mahesh Shah, who showed black money worth ₹13,000 crore, is accused to have links with Mr. Modi. What is the status of inquiry in these cases?” asked Mr. Surjewala.
