The Congress remained the lone flag bearer when it came protesting against the demonetisation as the party first paraded on the streets and later drove down to Raj Bhawan to register its objections to it. The issue despite the bandh call first coined by the Congress-led Opposition could not garner much support barring few leftwing organisations.
looking at the thin support from the people against the decision of the Government, the Congress had withdrawn the call and converted it into merely an ‘angst day’. Top leaders of the party such as Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhdeo Bhagat, ClP leader Alamgir Alam, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, ex-Minister KN Tripathi and host of the others hit the streets with banners protesting against the currency ban.
“The decision has caused lots of hardship to the common people. It has been done without proper preparation and in haste. This has created panic among the people and poor people have been hit hard,” said Sahay, demanding a probe through a Parliamentary Committee into the entire episode alleging some sort of foul play.
Sukhdeo Bhagat also criticised the move, terming it undemocratic. “The Chief Minister is dancing to the tunes of the Prime Minister without caring for the common man. Situation is alarming in villages and rural pockets of Jharkhand whereas the Government is publishing advertisements in newspapers claiming success. This is a deliberate attempt to put people into peril,” said the PCC chief.
Nevertheless the party maintained that calling a bandh over the issue would not have been a good idea since the citizens are already in great ordeal since the decision was taken on November 8. “We never gave a bandh call. Everything is already shut as cash is not there and banks are unable to meet the demands of common man. In this, bandh call would have made the situation more difficult for them,” said Bhagat.
To show some solidarity and register their protest other parties like JMM, JVM and RJD organised smaller dharna at different places while left parties marched on the streets. “We are not in favour of bandh. It is not a good idea in the given circumstances. Though we oppose the way demonetisation has been implemented in the country. States like Jharkhand have been hit hard and people are not going to forgive them for this,” said JMM’s general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya.
JVM supremo Babulal Marandi also took part in a protest march at Birsa Chowk but there was no sign of Opposition unity into it. Handful of party workers sat on dharna briefly while none from its associate party in the State JD-U chipped it.