Note ban: Stop using indelible ink in banks, EC tells Centre

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday wrote to the Finance Ministry, asking it not to use indelible ink to mark people who were exchanging scrapped notes or withdrawing money from banks.

The EC raised the concern as several states will be going to polls and using indelible ink is the primary way of marking citizens who have already voted.

This comes just a day after various political parties including the Congress launched a scathing attack on the Government over the move.Congress on Thursday had accused the government of "branding" people through its "fascist act" of inking those exchanging demonetised currency notes.

Party spokesperson Anand Sharma said the Modi government was "insulting and harassing" crores of Indians by subjecting them to stand in long queues to withdraw money and demanded apology from the Prime Minister and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

"The decision to put indelible ink on fingers of account holders is a senseless, Fascist and Nazist act of branding people. It is shameful that they have done so with foreign tourists. Instead of sermonising, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Finance minister should hang their heads in shame and apologise to the people," he said.