New Delhi: Opposition parties on Tuesday November 8, the first anniversary of demonetisation, will be observed as a ‘Black Day’ across the country. The decision came a day after RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that his party will organise rallies across Bihar on November 8 to protest against demonetisation.
Media reports said that leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that Opposition parties have decided to “observe November 8 as Black Day”. Calling demonetisation “the scam of the century”, the Congress leader said that protests will be held across the country to highlight the ill-effects of note ban.
“This particular announcement made on November 8 is the scam of the century, which is why we are observing this as Black Day,” Ghulam Nabi Azad said while addressing a joint press conference of the opposition coordination committee.
Azad said that the BJP-led government’s decision to scrap high-value currency was “most ill-conceived and hasty”, adding that “never ever in the world people have died because of government policy”. He announced that 18 Opposition parties have decided to hold protests in every state against demonetisation.
“Each political party will try to give a regional name to observe this as a ‘Black Day’ and will hold protests and processions,” said Azad who was accompanied by TMC leader Derek O’Brien and breakaway JD(U) faction leader Sharad Yadav. Derek O’Brien said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will observe November 8 as “Kalo Dibas”, which is ‘Black Day’ in Bengali.
Azad said that since opposition leaders from all parties including regional ones cannot be in Delhi, the coordination committee decided “to have protests at every state according to the capacity of various opposition parties. Our purpose is to show our unity”.
The coordination committee of opposition parties met in the Parliament House on Monday and authorised Ghulam Nabi Azad to talk to other parties and finalise the protest plan on November 8. The seven-member coordination committee comprises leaders of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, breakaway Janata Dal (United) faction among others.
