Seek end to curbs on money withdrawal from banks,
The City and District Congress units, led by Feroz N. Sait, MLA, and State Mahila Congress president Laxmi R. Hebbalkar staged a demonstration and shouted slogans in Belagavi on Saturday condemning the Modi government for giving the nation the “biggest scam - demonetisation.”
They submitted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Suresh Itnal, listing out a host of charges against Mr. Modi, including payments in crores allegedly given to him by Aditya Birla and Sahara groups “as revealed by the Income Tax Department.”
The Congress leaders also submitted a set of demands, including an independent inquiry into the allegations of payments to Mr. Modi and recouping losses caused by demonetisation.
Their other demands included withdrawal of restrictions on withdrawal of money with immediate effect or payment of 18% interest per annum to account holders till the restrictions were lifted; depositing Rs.25,000 in the bank account of at least one woman belonging to a BPL family as compensation for the immense suffering caused to women due to demonetisation; a special one-time bonus of 20% over and above the Minimum Support Price for all Rabi crops; and doubling the wages given to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme for a period of one year.
The Congress leaders also asked the government to identify all those who lost their jobs consequence to demonetisation and payment of adequate compensation at the applicable minimum wages till March 31.
Our Tumakuru Staff Correspondent reports:
The members of district unit of Congress staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Tumakuru city today and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condemning the inconvenience caused to the people due to demonetisation.
MLA Rafiq Ahmed, MP S.P. Muddahanumegowda, president of district unit of Congress Ramakrishna, leaders Shafi Ahmed and R. Narayana and others were present.
Our Bidar Special Correspondent reports:
Congress members took out a protest against demonetisation in Bidar on Saturday. Protesters gathered in large numbers at the Ambedkar Circle and walked to the Deputy Commissioner’s office to lay siege to it. However, police stopped them outside the gates. They submitted a memorandum to Additional DC D. Shanmukh and dispersed.
They described demonetisation as a “surgical strike against the poor and middle classes of the country” and blamed the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it. They said that 150 people died in queues or in banks. But their families have not been compensated. Agriculture activity has been hit badly and petty and small traders have no cash in hand.
The government is doing this only to help big financial companies. Only a few hundred rich people will be benefited by this “mindless decision” while millions are suffering, they said.
District Congress president Khaji Arshed Ali and other leaders were present.
