Cong protests at Bhubaneswar RBI office over withdrawal curbs

Intensifying the protest against demonetisation, the Congress today demonstrated near the Reserve Bank office here, demanding lifting of restrictions on cash withdrawal of up to Rs 24,000 per week to ease hardships faced by the people.
Led by former Lok Sabha Speaker and former union minister Shivraj Patil, Congress workers, shouting slogan, took out a rally from the state party headquarters to RBI office.
They dubbed the demonetisation move as a "surgical strike" on the poor people, farmers, labourers, small traders and middle class.
Speaking at the agitation organised as part of the party's nationwide RBI Gherao programme, senior Congress leaders including Patil alleged that events relating to the note ban showed RBI has completely lost its autonomy and turned into a puppet at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led government.

Need of the hour is to restore RBI's credibility, autonomy and integrity by unshackling the control of the Modi government over every aspect of its functioning, Patil said.
Noting that demonetisation has hit hard agriculture, unorganised sector and small business operations, Patil said there should be complete restoration of money supply by removing the restriction of withdrawal of Rs 24,000 per week as people must enjoy the right to withdraw their own hard- earned money from banks.

On the NDA government's claim that demonetisation would wipe out black money, he said that instead of causing hardship and difficulties to the poor, common people and middle class, concrete steps should have been taken to retrieve huge unaccounted cash stashed abroad.

The Congress stalwart said the party has been mounting pressure on the Centre by raising the issue vigorously in the Parliament and outside.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan said the party was of the view that RBI's autonomy and statutory powers have been subjugated and compromised and responsibility lies with the RBI Governor for this erosion of credibility.
Therefore, Congress demands that the RBI Governor must forthwith resign taking responsibility for the "demonetisation mess" and also permitting the Modi government to encroach upon the jurisdiction of RBI, rendering it as a mouthpiece of the government, Harichandan said.