West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Shiv Sena and those from the National Conference (NC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Wednesday met President Pranab Mukherjee and submitted a memorandum voicing serious concern over the crisis arising out of the Government’s ban on Rs1,000 and Rs500 currency notes and urged him to “save the people.”
Describing as “dictatorial and draconian” the Government’s demonetisation move, the memorandum has sought its immediate suspension. Mamata led a march to Rashtrapati Bhawan from Parliament along with Trinamool Congress MPs, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, Shiv Sena MPs Harshul and Anandrao Adsul, NC leader and former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, among others.
Though the Sena took part in the march, it did not sign the memorandum and urged the Government to extend the deadline for accepting old currency notes. Before beginning the march, Mamata said, “The march is to save common people from disaster.”
“We had a successful meeting with the President during which we discussed the issue. And the President said he would look into the matter,” Mamata said, after meeting Mukherjee.
Claiming that the situation arising out of demonetisation had triggered a sort of constitutional crisis, she said the TMC would move an adjournment motion in the lok Sabha.
Expressing concern over the problems being faced by the people after demonetisation, she said, “We have requested the President to speak to the Government and decide on this and bring back normalcy in the country. The President was once the Finance Minister and knows the country’s situation better than anyone else, he will take appropriate action.”
Mann said the ban had affected functioning of households across the country as there was no money available.
Adsul said they were not against the decision to demonetise currency but at the way it had been implemented.