No notes to woo votes

Public distress over demonetisation is matched by that of UP political parties, who are worried about how they will meet the expenses of campaign expenses for the next Assembly polls.

- Mudit Mathur

Aziz Ansari, a 60-year-old factory worker in Meerut, died of a heart attack while waiting in a long bank queue. Across Uttar Pradesh, there is widespread anger among millions of citizens — old, infirm, men and women — who are forced to face serpentine queues outside banks and ATMs to change small amounts of demonetised notes for legal tender. Be it be poor labourers, farmers, traders or hospital patients, all have started aggressively opposing sudden and unprepared decisions, resulting in law and order problems.

Most political parties are opposing the sudden demonetisation as being arbitrary and politically motivated in view of the Assembly polls in early 2017.

BSP supremo Mayawati alleged in a press conference: “The situation after the demonetisation was like imposition of an undeclared economic emergency which is against the Constitution and a most condemnable step. Modi government has taken the demonetisation decision in a hurry with hundred percent political interests of BJP in mind. It has caused difficulties to 90 percent of the common people,” she added.

She questioned how a decision which has caused problems to 90 percent of the people could be in the interest of the nation. “Now to prove that his wrong decision was correct, the Prime Minister is getting emotional and shedding tears. What is this if not emotional blackmail?” Mayawati commented.