BHUBANESWAR: Normal life mostly remained unaffected in several parts of Odisha on Monday despite the 12-hour state-wide protest called by five Left Parties and the Congress to protest against the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. Vehicular traffic was normal in the state capital and Cuttack and other parts. All business establishments and private organisations remained open, except educational institutions. Government buses and other private vehicles were seen plying on the road.
However, protesters stag-ed demonstrations at various places. Activists of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) took out a procession from the Master Canteen square in Bhuban-eswar and demonstrated in front of the office of Rese-rve Bank of India (RBI). Similarly, Congress leaders also held a similar de-monstration in front of the RBI. Pradesh Congress Co-mmittee president Prasad Harichandan and other top leaders took part in the event. “We did not call for a bandh, but decided to obse-rve it as ‘Akrosh Divas. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who spread the message of bandh. We protest against the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, which has led to a nation-wide financial crisis,” PCC spokesperson Sarat Rout said.
Harichandan said: “This is an undeclared emergen-cy by the Narendra Modi government. People are suffering a lot due to the decision of the NDA government.” Activists of the Left parties held protest rallies near Srimandir Singhdwar, Swargadwar and Marine Drive in Puri. They demanded withdrawal of decision on note ban. “We demand that people should be allowed to withdraw their money from bank. The demonetisation decision has crippled the life of the common man and farmers. The impact of the demonstration has already fallen on the Modi government. We will intensify our agitation in future,” state CPI secretary Dibakar Nayak said.
CPM state secretary Ali Kishore Patnaik said the Central government should allow people to use old currency notes so that they do not suffer due to the Centre’s decision. He said while small trad-ers were bearing the brunt, the economy of the country would collapse following the demonetisation move. The Congress observed Akrosh Divas in Cuttack, Balasore, Jeypore, Bolangir, Sambalpur and Rourkela. Left party members held separate demonstrations in front of bank branches and other government offices.
