Congressmen protesting against note ban caned

Congress activists protesting against demonetisation outside the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) here on Wednesday were attacked with canes by police.

The protesters led by former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and party leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil raised anti-government slogans against the spiking of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and laid siege to the RBI office.

When some protesters tried to barge into the RBI building by knocking down barricades, police tried to stop them but failed.

In the ensuing lathicharge, a few Congress activists sustained minor injuries. The angry demonstrators then vent their ire on police.

Several Congress leaders, including Chavan, Vikhe-Patil and Vilas Muttemwar, demanded the suspension of policemen who caned the protesters and refused to end their agitation till action was taken.

The Congress leaders said demonetisation had badly affected the Indian economy, resulted in job losses, pushed down production as well as hit the rural masses and farmers badly.

Similar anti-demonetisation protests by the Congress were held in the country including outside the RBI offices in Mumbai and Gujarat.

--IANS

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