Hours after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reached out to him on the demonetisation issue, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said here on Thursday that while his party was with the Government in its fight against black money, corruption and fake currency, he disapproved of the manner in which the common people were being inconvenienced.
Talking to media persons after paying homage to late Sena chief and his father Balasaheb Thackeray on the occasion of the latter’s death anniversary, Uddhav said that the Government should waste no time in lifting the ban on district co-operative banks on the acceptance and exchange of old currency notes.
Udhav, whose party MPs had joined the delegation led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeee that met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi over the demonetisation issue, said that the inconvenience being meted out to ordinary people who were being forced to stand in long queues to exchange or deposit demonetised notes.
“We are surely with the Government in its fight against black money, corruption and fake currency. I don’t think anyone in the country would be against this fight. But the Government must choose its targets wisely. The kind of harassment being meted out to ordinary people should stop. Everyone wants to lead their lives happily and peacefully. They are being forced to undergo hardships for no rhyme or reason. The inconvenience that they are being subjected to is not done,” Uddhav said.
Reiterating his party’s demand for lifting of the demand on district co-operative banks to accept or exchange demonetised notes, the Sena president said: “In not in Maharashtra but the entire country, there are branches of district cooperative banks in villages of the population of 5,000 people. The people depend on these banks. There is no alternative to these banks. The Government should lift the ban on these banks.
“My advice to the Government is: you should have trust in people. Not all the people are dishonest and hoard black money. The money that the people in rural areas possess is hard-earned one and not black money. No one is objecting to your exchanging the demonetised notes. But, while doing so, people are being inconvenienced that we are opposed to,” Uddhav said.
Confirming that Rajnath Singh had called him and spoken to him on the demonetisation issue, Uddhav said: “I told him that the inconvenience being meted out to ordinary people should stop. If this is to continue, it will lead to anarchy for no rhyme or reason. You may have a good intention, but the consequence should not be disastrous. I have told him to ensure that the demonetisation move goes well with the people”.
Earlier in the day, in an editorial published in its official mouth-piece “Saamana”, the Sena said that late Sena chief Bal Thackeray should have been around to speak against the hardships being faced by ordinary people in the wake of the demonetisation of Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes.
“During the last fortnight, 125 crore people in the country have been reduced to beggars. That’s people are saying that you should have been around now. It is a national crime that when there are no elections, people have to have indelible ink on fingers and stand in queues for exchange of old notes,” the Saamana editorial stated.
“The lives of 125 crore people have turned into a misery. Markets are closed, factories are closed and there is no employment… people feel like their heart is burning,” the editorial added.