Protest against demonetisation in Mumbai: Congress leader calls Centre ‘anti-poor’

Dubbing the BJP-led government at the Centre “anti-poor”, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan said on Monday that his party will raise in Parliament and state legislature the issue of hardships being faced by people owing to demonetisation

Dubbing the BJP-led government at the Centre “anti-poor”, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan said on Monday that his party will raise in Parliament and state legislature the issue of hardships being faced by people owing to demonetisation.

Protesters at a rally against demonetisation organised by the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee in Mumbai on Monday.(Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

The winter session of the Maharashtra legislature will begin in Nagpur from December 5.

Addressing a rally outside the suburban collector’s office after the ‘Jan Akrosh’ march from Kalina to Kherwadi junction in Bandra, Chavan alleged that the government had waived Vijay Mallya’s loan but not that of the farmers.

“The BJP government at the Centre is anti-poor. Nine farmers have committed suicide recently, but the government has no shame,” he alleged.

Chavan claimed the morcha was a “success” as the “common man participated in large numbers”.

Congress leaders were joined by NCP city unit president Sachin Ahir and their workers in the march in suburban Mumbai to protest against the difficulties being faced by the common man owing to demonetisation.

Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam, city Congress leaders Kripashankar Singh, Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan, Rajya Sabha member Hussain Dalwai and NCP Mumbai president Sachin Ahir spoke on the occasion.

Ahir said the ill-effects of the November 8 decision taken without proper planning are being felt till today, while Chavan said the citizens who deposited their money in bank accounts are not able to withdraw it. Small traders, farmers, labourers and the working class have been the worst hit.

The rural economy has virtually collapsed, Chavan said.

Nirupam said that hawkers, shopkeepers, traders in Dharavi, Kalina, Santacruz, Kurla and Bandra have extended their support to the protest march.

He said that the Mumbai Congress had organised “Money Ki Baat” outside railway stations and banks in Byculla, Kurla, Andheri and Jogeshwari to highlight the poor implementation of demonetisation.

Nirupam claimed that the Federation of Maharashtra, Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association, Mumbai Gold Wholesale Association and taxi-autorickshaw unions in Mumbai also supported and participated in the morcha.

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