90 lives lost due to demonetisation, claims Mamata

Kolkata: Claiming that people have been subjected to harassment and financial insecurity in the one month since demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the Prime Minister must clarify the situation to the nation and take entire responsibility for it.

She also claimed that 90 people have died due to hardships following demonetisation of high value notes.

"One month of harassment, pain, hopelessness, financial insecurity and utter chaos," Banerjee said in a statement.

"That is all that the common people has got after the black decision on demonetization announced a month back on November eight," Banerjee, who has been the most vocal against demonetisation of high value notes, said.

"PM must clarify the situation to the nation and take entire responsibility," Banerjee said.

Claiming that no black money has been recovered, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, "Only white money of the common people has been snatched away."

The TMC MPs have been staging protests in both houses of Parliament since the winter session began.

"Even no black money has been recovered from foreign countries. In the name of recovery of so called black money, the ruling party at the Centre has created assets in the form of land, bank deposits, gold, diamonds and has become more and more capitalist," Banerjee, who has led an unrelenting attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, said.

"One month since demonetisation was announced. More than 90 lives lost. How many more Modi babu?" Banerjee said on twitter.

She said in her statement, "Production has nosedived, agricultural activities have been shattered, buying and selling is down drastically, the economy is in shambles, the entire country is passing through an unprecedented financial emergency.

"Untold sufferings have come down in the lives of farmers, labourers, workers of unorganised sectors, tea garden, beedi and jute workers, employed class, students, sick, old and infirm people," the chief minister said in her statement.

"The common man is helpless. Mothers and sisters have been forced to give away their small personal savings to run the family in the face of serious cash crunch. No one knows when this unfortunate ordeal will end. No one knows when good senses will prevail to stop this mindless harassment and sufferings of common people. No one knows what good has happened to the country and its people with this big, black decision," the chief minister said.

Calling for immediate action to restore trust and confidence of the people on banking and financial sectors, Banerjee said, "People must have hassle-free access to their own money and feel secure that their money is safe with banks and financial institutions."

"We have raised the issue repeatedly in Parliament and in different other platforms. Leading economists have criticised this mindless demonetisation. But there is no response yet," she added.