Demonetisation: Congress to hold country-wide protests from Jan 5

Congress is set to step-up the attack on the union government over the demonetisation issue, with the party planning nationwide protests from January 5.

New Delhi, Dec 27: Congress on Monday announced it will hold country-wide protests on January 5 at all district headquarters and on January 8 at the block level to highlight the common man's woes due to demonetisation. The party said it would also highlight the issue of "personal corruption" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At a meeting of all top Congress leaders chaired by party's vice president Rahul Gandhi, it was decided to involve the commoner in the fight against demonetisation. Sources said Congress will also hold pressers across the country at the central and the state level on December 29 and 30 and later on January 2 at the district level.

The meeting was attended by all party general secretaries and secretaries, PCC chiefs and other top leaders at the central and the state level. The sources said that in the first phase, Congress will agitate at district headquarters on January 5 and in the second phase, it will take this fight to the block level with Mahila Congress holding such agitations and demonstrations on January 8.

Addressing the party men, Gandhi alleged demonetisation has turned out to be a "scam" and that the Prime Minister has "indulged" in corruption and has not come clean on the "Sahara diaries" bribery issue.

"If an independent probe is held, Modiji will stand exposed," he is reported to have said at the meeting.

Gandhi also asked party men to gear up for taking their fight to the public and highlight the "personal corruption" by the Prime Minister and the woes of the common man due to note ban. During the meeting, Gandhi sought feedback from state leaders on note ban woes.

Starting December 29 and 30, Congress will push for widhrawal of all financial restrictions imposed on the common man post-demonetisation and ask the government to allow the public deposit and withdraw money freely from their bank accounts.

"We will also highlight the personal corruption by the Prime Minister... and the suffering of the common people due to demonetisation," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

The party will focus on highlighting "losses suffered by people, who lost their jobs due to demonetisation, contraction of economy and the hardships of the poor, farmers and traders". Prime Minister Narendra Modi while announcing the decision to invalidate 500 and 1000 rupee notes on November 8 had said there would some inconvenience to people for the initial 50-day period that ends on December 30.

PTI