Gujarat Congress on Wednesday kicked off a week-long State-wide agitation against demonetisation of Rs500 and Rs1,000 denomination currency notes terming the move as ‘anti-people’.
On Wednesday evening, Congress workers staged protest at RBI regional office at Ahmedabad and raised the issues of farmers, milk producers and vegetables vendors post demonetisation. GPCC president Bharatsinh Solanki said that the situation was getting out of control post demonetisation and they were returning home empty-handed despite standing in long queues outside banks for hours. Every section of society, be it farmers, students, labourers, youths, women and tribals, are facing tremendous problems in getting new notes, he claimed.
Another serious issue post demonetisation decision according to GPCC chief is increasing unemployment due to cash crunch. He said that traders and shop keepers were not getting business and as a result of if they had to retrench their employees. He said that in order to help the people Congress workers in Gujarat would help people in filling up forms outside banks.
“large quantity of agriculture produces is lying unsold across the State as farmers are not getting adequate prices. Vegetable vendors are finding it difficult to give back change to their customers as there is acute shortage of lower denomination currency notes. Milk producers too are facing similar difficulties,” said Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi, adding that in today’s protest Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) raised these issue in front of RBI office at Ashram Roads.
According to Congress leader Nishith Vyas, more than 200 congress workers were detained by the police. The agitation would be continued whole week across the state and Congress workers would protest against the decision of demonetisation and difficulties people are facing because of it, said Vyas.
Congress leaders are also accusing rival BJP’s Gujarat leaders for misusing the cooperative banks to turn their black money into white at a time when common man is facing problems to withdraw their own money from banks due to shortage of new currency notes.