KOCHI: Demanding immediate steps to resolve the crisis cause by demonetisation, UDF on Monday announced it would stage a sit-in of its MPS and MLAs at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on December 14. The decision was taken after a high-level meeting of the front.
“This is the beginning of high-voltage agitations by the UDF against the state government and the Centre for their anti-people policies,” Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said in a media briefing afterwards.
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a dictator, Chennithala said the country was facing the crisis due to his anarchist rule.
“The Centre hastily withdrew the currencies, without conducting any study. The country cannot go into cashless mode simply by the PM’s declaration. The decision has adversely affected agriculture and commercial sectors,” he added.
He also lashed out at CPM, saying the UDF did not require its certificate to fight BJP. He was referring to the accusation by state Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac, who had accused Chennithala of having the same stand as BJP, after he allegedly backtracked from a joint agitation with the CPM against the Centre.
Ration distribution
Chennithala also demanded additional rice distribution to the state in wake of the currency crisis. The UDF leaders alleged that ration distribution in Kerala had been disrupted under LDF regime.
“Ration distribution was effective during UDF’s rule. The Oommen Chandy-led government also procured additional ration share to the state from the Centre. However, the Pinarayi Government has brought people to the brink of poverty,” alleged Chennithala, adding that the state government had failed to initiate steps to restore ration distribution, since it was disrupted last October.
Demanding immediate steps to resolve the crisis cause by demonetisation, UDF on Monday announced it would stage a sit-in of its MPS and MLAs at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on December 14. The decision was taken after a high-level meeting of the front.