Trinamool rallies in Kolkata to protest demonetisation

West Bengal ministers and senior Trinamool Congress leaders on Wednesday participated in a massive protest rally organised by the state's ruling party here against the central government's demonetisation move.

With the participants carrying placards and posters decrying the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and the decision's ill-effects on the common man, the rally covered three km from north Kolkata's College Square to Dorina Crossing in central Kolkata.

State ministers and Trinamool leaders hit the streets with thousands of party supporters from Kolkata and the nearby districts.

Among those who joined the rally were ministers Amit Mitra, Subrata Mukherjee, Bratya Basu, Firhad Hakim, Sadhan Pande, Partha Chatterjee, Sovandeb Chatterjee and Indranil Sen with a number of party lawmakers and Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillors, besides Trinamool National General Secretary Subrata Bakshi and other senior functionaries.

State Education Minister and Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said the rally was part of the fight against an "unofficial economic emergency" in the country.

"Indian Prime Minister used to wear suit worth Rs 15 lakh himself. What steps can he possibly take against the black money holder," asked Chatterjee.

"Our leader Mamata Banerjee is leading a nationwide agitation against the tyrannical central government in Delhi. We are following her footsteps in the state for the sake of people that are suffering," Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said, referring to the sit-in protest led by the Trinamool chief at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

"Nowhere in the world, demonetisation happened on such a large scale. This is an attack on common people. No black money would be recovered by this move," state Finance Minister and economist Amit Mitra said.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/vt