Currency ban: Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal protest outside RBI office; demand roll back in 3 days

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday addressed a joint rally at the Azadpur vegetable wholesale market in New Delhi.

In a joint warning, the duo demanded roll back of the demonetisation in three days. Kejriwal warned that the simmering discontent among people will soon turn into a revolt by the common man.

Taking their fight against demonetisation to the street, Kejriwal and Mamata on Thursday held a demonstration outside Reserve Bank of India in New Delhi, wanting to know availability of currency.

Both the Chief Ministers drove straight to RBI office in Parliament Street from a rally in Azadpur wholesale market in East Delhi where they made a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation.

“How much currency needed? How much printed? What is capacity? How many more days will it take? Myself ann Mamtadi at RBI to get this info,” Kejriwal tweeted.

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Banerjee said they came to RBI to know whether the Central bank has enough currency or not. “Our main apprehension is shortage of currency. We are here to check whether there is enough cash to disburse among the people.”

TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who along with some other TMC MPs accompanied Banerjee, said officials of RBI failed to come up with satisfying answer when asked about availability of currency for distribution.

“They gave us last year’s report on the availability of notes. Ultimately the two leaders had to go without getting any satisfying response,” she said.

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Few RBI officials spoke to Kejriwal and Banerjee when they were camping outside the bank.

Security personnel struggled to maintain order as a huge crowd gathered with some raising pro-Modi slogans while some others cheered for Kejriwal.

One Rachna Wadhwan who was waiting to take out money from RBI complained to Banerjee and Kejriwal that she has been standing since morning to take money to buy medicine but the line has barely moved.

“I am a patient of blood pressure. I have been standing since morning. I told them about my plight,” she told reporters later. 

(With inputs from PTI)