With news of more deaths and chaos reported from different parts of the State in wake of prime minister demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denominations notes, chief minister Akhikesh Yadav reacted strongly to media reports of lathi charge by police on farmers standing in queue to withdraw money from a bank in Fatehpur district on Monday.
“CM Akhilesh Yadav had taken the brutal lathi charge on farmers waiting in queue to withdraw money from a bank in Kisunpur area of Fatehgarh on Monday very seriously”, confirmed a release of the government issued here on Tuesdayevening. The release mentioned that Akhilesh Yadav had placed the district police chief of Fatehpur, Ram Kishore and station officer of Kisunpur police station Sanjay Kumar Yadav under suspension from immediate effect. An enquiry has been also ordered into the matter to punish the guilty. Yadav also issued instructions to officials to ensure that the people particularly farmers, females and poor person do not find any problem in withdrawn or in exchanges of hard earned money.
Meanwhile according to reports from Deoria, a 65-year-old man was trampled to death outside a bank while standing in a queue to withdraw cash. Reports said that Ramnath Kushwaha, a resident of Gulriha village, was caught in a stampede outside the State Bank of India branch on Monday afternoon. He was trampled by a crowd who had gathered to withdraw cash. He had gone to withdraw money to make payments to a hospital where his pregnant daughter-in-law has been admitted, the reports confirmed. Kushwaha was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.
In another case reported from Banda, an ailing 4-year-old girl died on a bank’s premises while her father was waiting in a queue to withdraw money for her treatment in Tindwari police station area. Reports said that Dharmendra Verma, a labourer, had been making rounds of UP Allahabad Gramin Bank, Tindwari in Banda district, for the few days to withdraw money for the treatment of his daughter who was suffering from fever. On Monday, he had brought his daughter to the bank and was standing in a queue for withdrawing money to take her to hospital when she died. The local police which reached the spot claimed that they were probing the matter. Meanwhile, the death also led to a protest by the locals who squatted on the Banda-Fatehpur road and placed the body on the road disrupting vehicular traffic for a long time. They later called up their protest after necessary action in the matter. Meanwhile reports from Muzaffarnagar confirmed that in the wake of the Centre’s demonetisation move, hundreds of cash-strapped farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union protested outside a bank and gheraoed the officials at Khudda village in the district. The farmers staged a dharna outside the Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in the village after they were unable to get cash from the bank on Monday. In Biralsi village, people facing shortage of cash protested outside a PNB branch after they were unable to withdraw money from their accounts. Similarly in Miranpur town also in Muzaffarnagar, villagers angered over not getting money held protest on Monday. Meanwhile, Congress activists also held a protest in the district against the Union government’s decision due to which Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes stood defunct.
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