On eve of one-year ‘anniversary’ of demonetisation: Note ban a ‘devil act’, says Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (Source: File)

A day before the one-year anniversary of the Centre’s demonetisation drive, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday described the move as a “devil act” done to convert black money into white. Demanding a thorough investigation into the move, Mamata said in a Facebook account that it had failed to yield results.

“Demonetisation is a big scam. If thorough investigation is conducted, this will be proved… Demonetisation was not to combat black money. It was only to convert black money into white money for vested interests of 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 said.

Mamata also said the move could not combat terrorism or black money, nor could it aid the development of the country.

“By the devil act of demonetisation, 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 emergency… From Day 1, I had protested against this draconian decision of demonetisation 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% growth in between January and March, 2017 compared to 9.1% in the previous year. It further plummeted to 5.7% between April and June, 2017, compared to 7.9% in the previous year,” she said.

Terming demonetisation as a “black decision”, the chief minister said: “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. Demonetisation was a Black Decision worth every sort of condemnation.”

The Trinamool Congress chief reiterated that her party would observe November 8 as ‘Kaala Dibas’ (Black Day) to protest against demonetisation.
“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,” the post read.