Opposition launches protests; No ‘Bharat Bandh’

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday denied that any all-India ‘bandh’ call had been given by the opposition parties against demonetisation. However, a 12-hour strike has been called by Left parties in West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala to protest against the inconvenience caused to the people due to the demonetisation drive of the Centre.

The Congress and other opposition parties will simultaneously take out a ‘Jan Aakrosh Rally’ on the issue. Regional parties like the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam in Tamil Nadu and others are also expected to stage protests in their respective states.

The Biju Janata Dal in Odisha has not lent its support to the protests. The protests began with Samajwadi Party workers staging a demonstration in Allahabad and Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist workers stopping Hatia-Patna Express train in Bihar’s Darbhanga.

A bandh has also been observed in Thiruvanthapuram, while in Kolkata, normal life was barely affected as the ruling Trinamool Congress is not supporting the Left-called bandh.