Taking on the Union government on demonetisation of Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 notes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged all Opposition parties — including her arch rival, the Communist Party of India (Marxis), to unite against the BJP-led Central government.
"For the betterment of the people and the country, I appeal to all the Opposition parties to come together. If needed we will work together with the CPI(M) with whom we have basic differences and ideological issues,” she said at a press conference at the State Secretariat.
This is for the first time in her political career that Ms Banerjee has said she is willing to work with the CPI(M) against the BJP.
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Ms. Banerjee welcomed the stand taken by Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi party against demonetisation.
“This government has no moral right to continue in power. It is an anti-people, anti-poor government,” said Ms. Banerjee, who earlier in the day visited a few bank branches and spoke to people. She described the decision as" black party of the black government"
Ms. Banerjee said there was no planning before making this decision.
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Taking exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks of more stringent options after December, in Japan, Ms. Banerjee asked whether Mr. Modi is threatening emergency or using the Army against Opposition parties.
“Ro raha hai Hindustan, Aap Gaya Japan” [The whole country is crying while you are in Japan],” she said.