Kolkata: Dubbing the Centre's demonetisation move as the "black policy of the black government", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday visited banks and ATMs in the city to witness the "hardship" faced by the common people and demanded withdrawal of the decision.
She visited three banks and several ATMs at Sarat Bose Road, Bhawanipore and Chowringhee and spoke to the people there.
"These are all common people. Let the government nab the real culprits," Banerjee said.
"I visited several bank branches and ATMs since the morning. I spoke to the people...How they were facing this inconvenience due to an ill-planned and anti-people policy. Those who have black money are not standing in long queues," she said.
"It (the Modi government) should immediately withdraw the decision. It is causing an immense harassment to the masses. Most of the ATMs are still closed. From where will the common man get the money to run the family," Banerjee asked.
Pointing out that after standing for hours in a queue, people received only one Rs 2,000 note each, she said, "How will they use this one Rs 2,000 note for all of their daily needs? They are not getting currency notes of lower denominations. There is total chaos and anger."
Earlier in the day, renewing her attack on the Modi government for the move to demonetise the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, Banerjee had demanded withdrawal of this "black" political decision, saying it was against the common people.
"Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she had tweeted.
Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said,
"But, given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government (to withdraw the decision)".
"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money-launderers," she added.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, on Thursday, had called upon all the opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre".
Mocking the prime minister, she had said that Narendra Modi had gone to Japan after making the people "poor" in India.
Banerjee had also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue.
