Note ban protest: TMC leaders lay siege to RBI office

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress legislators and senior ministers on Wednesday staged a rally in the city, which ended outside the RBI office, against the Centre’s demonetisation move.

A little before RBI governor Urjit Patel’s flight was to land at the Subhas Chandra Bose International airport in Dum Dum, TMC ministers and MLAs laid a siege outside the RBI office at BBD Bagh area and organised noisy protests against the RBI governor.

State education minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee warned that their anti-demonetisation protests will continue on Thursday when Mr Patel is scheduled to attend the apex bank’s central board meeting at the RBI office. Mr Patel, who is on his first visit to Kolkata since taking charge of the office, is also scheduled to meet bankers and industrialists during his stay.

Mamata Banerjee who has been in the forefront of anti-demonetisation drive had organised a dharna at the RBI office in Delhi last month. She had also marched to RBI in Kolkata and spoke to its officials.

Nabanna sources said Mr Patel has sought an appointment with Ms Banerjee but it is not clear whether the meeting will take place. However, state chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee is scheduled to meet the RBI governor.

Earlier in the dau, the ruling party MLAs and ministers, including Partha Chatterjee, Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee, urban development minister Firhad Hakim, TMC MP Subrata Bakshi and power minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, marched from the Assembly towards the RBI office.

The protesters raised slogans targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi — “Modi hatao desh bachao” and  “withdraw the draconian demonetisation decision”.

After reaching the RBI building, top TMC leaders organised a dharna, which lasted for nearly 45 minutes. Mr Haim said that the party’s protests against the scrapping of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes will continue till the decision is withdrawn. “We are citizens of an Independent India. The money we have kept in our bank accounts is our hard-earned money. We want to ask the RBI governor which Article of the Constitution has given him the authority to impose restrictions on the withdrawal of our own money,” he said.

The education minister said it is a shame that people are dying standing in the queues outside banks and ATMs. “After the huge crisis which has been created in the country by his decision, Mr Modi does not have the moral authority to remain the prime minister even for a moment,” he said.

Upset by the hostile attitude of the state government, Mr Patel was virtually whisked away by the apex bank authorities in his own vehicle.

He refused to avail of the vehicle provided by the state administration and even dodged the Kolkata police’s special branch officials who were to accompany his convoy.