Shillong, Nov 8: The ruling Congress in Meghalaya on Wednesday observed Black Day as a mark of protest against demonetization of old currency Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes that has completed its first anniversary, while the BJP which observed the day as Anti-Black Money Day claimed that demonetization has mostly affected the Congress but did not affect the common people much.
On November 8 last year, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had demonetized the two old currency notes on the ground that such action would curtail the shadow economy and crack down on the use of illicit and counterfeit cash to fund illegal activity and terrorism. It also claimed that demonetization would prevent corruption and use of black money.
The Congress which is the ruling party in Meghalaya organized the protest in Shillong, the state capital and Tura, the main town in Garo Hills as well as in other districts of the state.
The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee organized protest rallies in various districts of the state with participants wearing black badges and shouted anti-BJP and anti-Modi slogans.
In Shillong, members of the Shillong City Congress Committee and Mahila Congress Committee took part in the demonstration and displayed placards which carried messages “Not surgical strike, but carpet bombing on common people,” “All the pain, no real gain,” among others.
The Congress alleged that many lives were lost due to demonetization and the people across the country suffered for days but reaped no benefits out of demonetization.
“Where is the black money? Why has the government not presented any figure?” the Congress asked.
Terming demonetization a “total failure”, Deputy chief minister, R.C. Laloo said, “whether it is necessary to have demonetization is a big question since most of the black money has turned into white money. There are so many people who possessed black money, but they never kept in cash and kept their money in the form of “gold and real estate.”

“There is no ban on gold and real estate, and the is on cash which in the process, the money has turned white,” he said.

He also said that tribal people does not have black money.

“Black money is a money which has not been assessed, but what black money do we have as tribal in Meghalaya,” he said.

At Tura, the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) organized the Black Day protest which was led by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Zenith Sangma, Parliamentary Secretary (Urban Affiars), Noverfield R. Marak, GHADC chairperson, Sadiarani Sangma and MPYC President, Richard M. Marak.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets from Congress Bhawan Tura via Ringrey Market, Babupara, Tura Bazar, Hawakhana and culminated at Congress Bhawan by carrying banners, placards and shouted slogans against the BJP-led NDA government.

Zenith reminded the trauma faced by the people after demonetization and implementation of GST.

“Demonetization the biggest blunder of Modi-led BJP government was instrumental in breaking the backbone of the Indian economy and a reason to render thousands of people jobless,” Zenith stated in his address.

Terming demonetization a “tragedy” he said, “We stand by millions of honest Indians whose lives and livelihoods were destroyed by the Prime Minister’s thoughtless act. We demand simple GST and GST below 18 per cent.”

MPYC President Richard M. Marak condemned the BJP-led government even as he argued that though demonetization was done to reduce corruption, recover black money and attack terror funding, yet nothing has happened.

“In fact we all know that demonetization is the biggest scam in the history of India. The only beneficiary of this was the BJP. In the run up to demonetization, BJP and RSS purchased properties running into hundreds of crores across the country. Kolkata BJP was caught depositing Rs 3 in Rs 500/1000 old notes just hours before demonetization was announced.

“Modi should come to Meghalaya and learn from Dr. Mukul Sangma how to fight terrorism rather than making people suffer with his foolish policies like demonetization and hasty implementation of GST” the MPYC President said.

As a part of the protest, candle light vigil was also organized in the evening remembering all victims of demonetization.
Meanwhile the BJP in Meghalaya which observed the Anti-Black Money Day countered the ruling Congress on demonetization issue by claiming that demonetization of the two high value old currency notes has not affected the people much but affected the Congress the most.

Speaking to reporters, Meghalaya BJP President Shibun Lyngdoh said, “Congress is the most affected due to demonetization.”

“In fact through the process of demonetization, the Congress which is practicing corruption, its shops will also be closed,” he said.

Though the BJP claimed that demonetization has helped in curbing black money, however could not provide any answer as to how much black money has been detected in the last one year.

The BJP claimed that the objective of demonetization was to fight black money and corruption, funding to terrorist groups, and prevent counterfeit current notes.

“The money that was lying outside has come back to the banks, and the circulation of money will streamline the economy in the country,” Lyngdoh said.

He also said that demonetization was not a new strategy in India, since the UPA-led government had in 2005 attempted to go for demonetization but did not have the guts to do it.

The BJP state president also claimed that demonetization has not affected the people in Meghalaya.