THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala will hold a state-wide hartal (strike) on Monday in protest against the crisis in the cooperative sector due to demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.
The CPM State Secretariat met here on Thursday and decided to call a state-wide strike on the issue. Other LDF allies have expressed similar sentiments on the issue.
Essential services would be excluded from the hartal on Monday.
Both the ruling LDF and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) have come out strongly against the BJP-led central government's demonetisation decision, why they say is destroying the cooperative sector in Kerala. A special session of the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the Centre to withdraw curbs clamped on cooperative banks from accepting old currency.
The Assembly session also decided to send an all-party delegation from the state to meet the Prime Minister on Thursday. However, the visit was called off after the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) denied an appointment to the Kerala delegation.
The LDF is observing Black Day in the state on Thursday protesting against the Prime Minister's refusal to meet the Kerala delegation. Also, the LDF has launched a 24-hour day-night stir in front of local government bodies on Thursday demanding measures to support the cooperative sector.