LUCKNOW: It was business as usual across the state as the Bharat Bandh call given by Left parties failed to evoke any response in Uttar Pradesh with normal functioning at offices, schools, markets and business establishments on Monday.
Vehicular traffic on the roads was normal and many markets across the state which are closed on Monday remained open to register their opposition to the Bharat Bandh call against the Centre’s move of demonetisation.
BSP chief Mayawati clarified early in the morning that her party was not part of the bandh call. “We are against sudden demonetisation of currency notes which comprised around 86% share of currency circulation (by value) in the country,” she told media persons on Monday. While the Left party workers took out a procession to protest against the Centre's decision of scrapping currency,
Samajwadi Party workers torched an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi near Prayag Station in Allahabad. Congress activists, on the other hand, held a public meeting at Clock Tower in Chowk in protest against demonetisation.
Speaking to media persons in Jaunpur, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav wondered that how those who promised ‘achchhe din’ (happy days) to the people had brought them to stand in queues, to exhaust their savings kept for a rainy day. On the other, SP state chief Shivpal Yadav called it a state of financial emergency in the country.
Congress party workers organised a march in Lucknow and other parts of the state observing the day as 'Jan Akrosh Diwas' and Aam Admi Party(AAP) held public interaction programme to apprise the people of the reality of demonetisation.
In Lucknow, AICC secretary Avinash Pandey and party MLA Akhilesh Pratap Singh led the march from the General Post Office to Shahid Smarak raising slogans against the Narendra Modi government.
“Everyone is suffering. The serpentine queues in front of banks and ATMs are still there even after 20 days of the announcement of Centre’s move. Modi government has failed miserably in the implementation of the policy which has retarded the economic growth of the country,” said Congress MLA Akhilesh Pratap Singh while leading the protest march In Lucknow.
Leading the party protest in Kanpur, Congress CM face Shiela Dixit said that the protest was successful as it evoked a good response among the people who had been suffering for almost 20 days now due to the whimsical move of the Centre.
Earlier, UPCC president Raj Babbar was likely to lead the march along with other senior leaders in respective districts but he had to rush to Delhi to take part in the ongoing Parliament session.
Calling the bandh a flop show, BJP state chief Keshav Kumar Maurya extended his gratitude to the people of the state to oppose and ignore the strike call by continuing with their daily routine. “The
fact that people of the state are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this fight against black money and corruption has been aptly reflected by their cold response to this Bharat Bandh”, he said.
The traders’ unions in the state had also decided not to be a part of the strike call.
Meanwhile, a report from Allahabad said that train services were disrupted for some time when the supporters of the ruling Samajwadi Party blocked the rail track near Baghambari in the city. However, on police intervention, the blockade was lifted. Similarly, minor incidents of scuffle among Congress , SP and BJP workers from Kushinagar and Banda were reported during the opposition-sponsored protest.
Meanwhile, All India Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to be present in Lucknow on Tuesday to address a protest meeting against demonetization.