Trinamool hits the streets in Kolkata to protest demonetisation

Kolkata, Nov 23 West Bengal ministers and senior Trinamool Congress leaders on Wednesday participated in a massive protest rally organised by the state's ruling party here against the central government's demonetisation move.

With the participants carrying placards, posters and festoons decrying the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and its ill-effects on the common man, the rally covered three km from north Kolkata's College square to Dorina Crossing in central Kolkata.

State ministers Amit Mitra, Bratya Basu, Firhad Hakim, Sadhan Pande, Partha Chatterjee, Sovandeb Chatterjee and Indranil Sen, as also a number of party lawmakers and Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillors, besides Trinamool national general secretary Subrata Bakshi and other senior functionaries hit the streets with thousands of Trinamool supporters from Kolkata and the nearby districts.

"Our leader Mamata Banerjee is leading a nationwide agitation against the tyrannical central government in Delhi. We are following her footsteps in the state for the sake of people that are suffering," Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said, referring to the sit-in protest in Delhi led by the Trinamool chief during the day at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

"Nowhere in the world, demonetisation happened in such a large scale. This is an attack on common people. No black money would be recovered by this move," state Finance Minister and economist Amit Mitra said.