Alleging that economic anarchy prevailed across the country due to the demonetization of high value notes, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav said that the process should be put on hold for at least a week ‘so that poor can arrange cash for their daily needs’.
“This is the first time after Congress imposed Emergency in 1975 that the country is facing an undeclared Emergency-like situation where we are not inside the jail but have lost freedom,” he said while addressing media persons in lucknow on Thursday.
Yadav said that the SP supports the Union government on its agenda to curb black money and end corruption but this does not mean that the poor people should suffer.
“We demand that the Union government withdraw its order and give at least a week’s time for the people to arrange cash,” he said.
The SP patriarch alleged that the government decision has affected the poor people, but on the other hand the people who have black money have converted it in gold or stashed it away to countries where they will get all facilities. The government should look into the matter to bring a stringent law to curb the menace rather than creating problem for the people,” Yadav stressed.
“Prime Minister Modi has mortgaged the country’s interest in the hands of a few big industrial houses. The Union government is not concerned about the poor. A woman died of heart attack after a bank refused to change four Rs 500 note that she was carrying. This is not an isolated incident. Many more incidents are being reported across the country,” he said.
Mulayam also demanded that the government should also give relaxation to women in depositing Rs 5 lakh. No question should be asked because women tenaciously save money every month. Modi’s decision has reduced women’s saving into trash in one stroke,” the SP chief said.
Yadav declared that SP will raise this issue in the Parliament. “The country’s economy has collapsed. People are losing jobs. The real estate is in a tizzy. Foreign investment in country has been affected as people are no longer willing to invest in India. The government decision has given rise to apprehensions,” Mulayam Singh said.