Taking a jibe at demonetisation drive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that this “monstrous” decision has hit the housewives and children the most as “their saving was used to run daily chores.” “The demonetisation decision has hit the women and the children most. The savings of house wives was used to purchase basic commodities. You know many piggy banks of children came handy to run daily chores in million of houses,” Yadav told reporters in Jaunpur where he had gone to attend marriage function of a state minister.
CM said: “Everyone is feeling the heat due to demonetisation and none have been spared. It is the talk of the town as how this government has put the lives of farmers, labourers and daily wage earners at perils. People are now saying that government has not done its homework about demonetisation and took this decision in a jiffy.”
Claiming that it will require around a year to normalise the situation as banks do not have cash, CM said the daily labourers and the poor in the rural areas are the biggest sufferers. Several of them are starving, he said. He alleged that most of the small traders have gone bankrupt and their business has stalled. The daily wage worker are not getting work and they are facing hardship to feed their family, “Think of those farmers who had a good crop after many natural disasters. They thought they will utilize the money in Rabi crop. But now they are standing in queue to get back their `own’ money. The farmers have become the victims of government-made crisis. Who will compensate them”, Yadav said. Attacking PM on his claims that demonetisation will end corruption and circulation of counterfeited currencies in the country, CM said already there are reports of fake currencies circulating in the market.
“This decision was taken with an eye on Uttar Pradesh elections. I have no hesitation in saying this. But this anti-people decision seems to have boomeranged on the Government,” he said. When asked about which party can give Samajwadi party a fight in the election, he commented that SP is well ahead against all the parties. “Samajwadi Party is way ahead of its rivals. Other parties are fighting for 2nd, 3rd and 4th places,” he said. The CM refused to comment on Amar Singh and about his support to the demonetisation move of the Centre. He also denied any infighting in the Yadav family or the party.