India’s opposition parties Monday called for nationwide protests over the government’s demonetisation move.
The country’s main opposition Congress party held protests in various states against the sudden scrapping of currency notes of higher denominations and its impact on the common people but stayed away from the shutdown call by the Communist parties.
Even regional parties like the Trinamool Congress in the easter state of West Bengal, Bahujan Samaj Party in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and anti-graft Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi have said they do not support a shutdown in view of the huge costs involved.
All the opposition parties are demanding an end to the hardships faced by the common people in the wake of the ban on currency notes of 500 rupees and 1,000 rupees and an apology from Prime Minister Modi for the decision.
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The Indian government has slammed the protests. “The opposition should be directing its anger at black money but unfortunately it is doing the reverse,” Indian Minister Ananth Kumar told the media in the national capital this morning.
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