Congress in Punjab today demanded that the state government ensure procurement of all the wheat "lying" in market and see to it that all payments of farmers are cleared by May 4, failing which the party has threatened to launch a mass agitation.
The demand was raised during a party meeting held at Congress Bhavan here to review the "sluggish progress" in lifting of the wheat and "non-payment" to farmers.
The meeting, presided by AICC secretary and party Punjab incharge Harish Chaudhary, was attended among others by Congress Legislative Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi, Preneet Kaur and Ravneet Singh Bittu, a party release said.
Congress will wait till May 4, giving four days to the government to lift all the wheat lying in the market and clear all the outstanding dues of the farmers, it stated.
In case the government failed to do so, the party will launch a state-wide agitation which will include gherao of the markets, the ministers and blockade of roads to press for their demand, the statement said.
The AICC General Secretary Asha Kumari alleged that BJP
leaders deposited big amounts in banks and purchased lands prior to demonetisation which needs to be probed.
Modi government must tell the people how much black money it has unearthed after demonetisation, she said.
The name of persons, institutions, trusts and societies must be declared by the Centre who had deposited above Rs 25 lakh, six months prior to the demonetisation, she said.
Asha also sought a probe into allegations in Birla and Sahara dairies that Modi received kickbacks when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister. BJP has rejected these charges, terming them as false, baseless and malafide.
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Asha Kumari demanded an unconditional apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and compensation to the families affected by demonetisation.
Modi had wanted 50 days post demonetisation for the situation to stabilise but far from stabilising, "things were going from bad to worse," the AICC General Secretary said.
The Congress had decided to come out on the roads against demonetisation as part of a nationwide campaign steered by a special committee under the leadership of MP and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, she said.
Other members of the AICC-constituted committee included senior party leaders Randeep Surjewala and Oscar Fernandes.
The Congress, she said, would go to the block level over the demonetisation and press conferences would be organised at district level in the entire country on January 2.
She claimed that though the currency in circulation was Rs 15.2 lakh crores, the banks had so far received about Rs 17 lakh crores in old notes, indicating that "fake currency had also been accepted.
