In an attempt to make the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes a key issue in the upcoming assembly elections in five states, the Congress is organising a day-long national convention against the “anti-poor” policies of the BJP-led NDA government on Wednesday.
All top leaders, including the members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), All India Congress Committee (AICC) delegates, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs apart from members of Parliament and legislative assemblies and councils from states have been invited for the meet.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will chair the convention, titled “Jan Vedna Sammelan”, held at Delhi’s Talkatora Indoor Stadium. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to attend the event.
Rahul, who has been at the forefront of attacks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government on demonetisation that also brought several opposition parties together, is expected to unveil the second phase of its nationwide agitation programme on the issue. The main opposition party had launched the first phase from January 1.
Through the convention, the party will seek to send a message to the people that the Prime Minister brought “misery and suffering” to them through his decision on November 8 last year.
{{/usCountry}}Through the convention, the party will seek to send a message to the people that the Prime Minister brought “misery and suffering” to them through his decision on November 8 last year.
{{/usCountry}}The Amethi MP had last month called the move as a “single biggest arbitrary decision” in the history of the world taken by an individual affecting the lives of 1.3 billion people.
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He had also alleged that he has information about the “personal corruption” by the Prime Minister and that there will be an “earthquake” if he is allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha on the note ban announced by Modi on November 8.
Rahul had been demanding steps such as the compensation to state governments by the Centre for any loss of revenue due to the move apart from Income tax and sales tax rebate of 50% to small shopkeepers and businesses.
His others demands were doubling the number of guaranteed work days and wage rate under MGNREGA for a period of one year besides providing Rs 25,000 to women of BPL families, especially those running households, who are badly hit due to demonetisation.
Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi had written to all the party leaders across the country, asking them to attend the convention in a big way to highlight the Modi government’s “anti-people” and “anti-poor” policies, including the note ban that has resulted in loss of many lives and also caused harassment to the general public.