Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a statement termed demonetization as a “devil act” alleged that this currency exercise was “only to convert black money into white for vested interests of the political party in power”.
She has instructed her party members to observe the demonetization day tomorrow as a “Black Day”.
The Trinamool Congress Chief has changed her twitter display picture to black on Monday as a protest and to mark the first anniversary of Demonetization on 8 November as a ‘black day’.
In her post on social media, she said: “The ill-famed #Noteban November 8 is approaching. Demonetization is a big scam. I repeat, demonetization is a big scam. If a thorough investigation is conducted, this will be proved.”
She slammed the ruling party and also strongly criticized the currency exercise saying: “Demonetization was not to combat black money. It was only to convert black money into white money for vested interests of the political party in power. Black money became ‘white fund’ for them and the country was plunged into darkness. No black money could yet be brought out from the foreign accounts. In all practical sense, it yielded big, big zero.”
She harshly said the exercise as a “devil act” adding that the Indian economy has been “ruined” due to this currency exercise.
According to CM Banerjee, the currency exercise had forced nearly 75,000 industrialists to the country.
In her statement, she said, “Neither demonetization could combat terrorism, nor black money nor aid to the development of the country. By the devil act of demonetization, the country has already lost its GDP worth nearly Rs 3 lakh Crore. Crores of workers, particularly in the informal sector, lost their jobs. Farmers were left to starve. Over 100 people lost their lives. People had no access to their own money in banks, even in an emergency.”
“The memories of untold sufferings and pain thrust upon the common people still haunt our minds.”
“From Day 1, I had protested against this draconian decision of demonetization by the central government and requested for its immediate withdrawal. The Indian economy has been ruined; so has plummeted the growth rate of the country. The GDP fell to 6.1 percent growth in between January and March, 2017 compared to 9.1 percent in the previous year. It further plummeted to 5.7 per cent between April and June, 2017, compared to 7.9 per cent in the previous year.”
“More than 75,000 industrialists were compelled to leave India and settle abroad and become NRI because of harassment in the prevailing situation. Business potential worth lakhs and lakhs of crore in India was thus lost,” she added.
She has condemned the decision saying: “Demonetisation was a Black Decision worth every sort of condemnation. 8th November #Nov8BlackDay this year will be observed as ‘Kaala Dibas’ (Black Day) to protest against demonetization and the unparalleled damage it caused to the country and its economy. We are for all the people who suffered and still continue to suffer. Their fight is our fight and we are committed to stand by them.”