Extending an invite to Opposition parties to join her protest against demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced plans of rallies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab on the issue in next few weeks.
Ms. Banerjee would be in Delhi on November 23 and 24 and hold a rally at Lucknow on November 29 followed by events in Bihar on December 1 and 2 and also visit Punjab.
‘No personal interest’“We are ready to join any political programme and anyone can join our programme. This is a movement of people. I have no personal interest in this,” she said.
Her announcement came 72 hours after her deadline in Delhi that she would go for nationwide protests if the government did not withdraw demonetisation.
In West Bengal, her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) had already announced plans of a State-wide protest on Wednesday. While she raised questions on the “hidden agenda” for demonetisation, she accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of threatening the opposition.
“The Prime Minister is threatening other parties who are raising their voices against demonetisation. PM should be sober. PM should behave like a PM. If necessary, he should convene an all-party meeting on the issue,” she said, adding that she would not be “cowed down by such threats.”
“Don’t take it like an ego fight. Did we not support GST [Goods and Services Tax] for the interest of the country knowing that State earnings will drop,” Ms Banerjee said.
CPI(M)’s chargeMeanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) marched with the Chit Fund Sufferers Forum during the day and gave a deputation to Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.
“There is an understanding between the BJP and her [Ms. Banerjee] and she is there to destroy the rest of the Opposition. This is true for Bengal and now rest of the country is also understanding this,” CPI(M) State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said. Dr. Mishra said the Prime Minister had raised the chit fund issue in the past but nothing had been done in this regard.
