Kolkata, Dec 9 (The Indian Express): The Centre has turned into a salesman trying to sell plastic cards, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday, minutes after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley held a press conference advocating digital transactions.
“The Govt is acting like a salesman. They have started selling products. They have started selling plastic cards… This is a desperate attempt to divert from the main issue. They are making more than a blunder a day,” she said in a series of tweets.
This comes after the Centre on Thursday announced discount on an array of services from buying petrol to insurance and railway tickets through the digital mode and waived service tax on card transactions of up to Rs 2,000.
Sharpening her attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, Mamata said he must resign because the move has led to “economic disaster” in the country and he has “no moral right” to continue. Alleging the country’s growth and business have been hit due to demonetisation, she said the Prime Minister “doesn’t trust” anyone and “doesn’t understand” what is good for the country. “There is no teamwork. He did not consult experts. It is a one-man dictatorship. It is a one-man made disaster. It is a dangerous tendency,” she told mediapersons at state secretariat Nabanna.
Comparing Modi to ‘Ali Baba’, she added: “Everything was done in huge secrecy, like he (PM) is some Ali Baba. He should realise he is occupying a constitutional post.” “He (Modi) thinks as if he is a tiger, and the only one who is right… After committing mistakes, he (PM) is showing chest and shoulder. What is this? Such figure is required in films. Ravana too had broad shoulders,” she said while referring to Modi’s “56-inch chest” remark. Demanding a clarification on the government’s policy, Mamata said: “If I was PM, (I) would apologise to the people and talk about rectifying myself… He must step down. He has no moral right to continue. I am sorry to say that the (Union) government has got derailed completely under the PM. He isn’t saying what will happen tomorrow, or the day after. He must clarify.”
Mamata, who accused the Centre of becoming “more and more capitalist”, claimed that demonetisation was implemented to benefit a select few. “No black money has even been recovered from foreign countries. In the name of recovery of the so-called black money, the ruling party at the Centre has created assets in the form of land, bank deposits, gold, diamonds and has become more and more capitalist,” she said. “The people want to know why he did it… Who got the benefit of demonetisation? The PM and his associates are the beneficiary. The PM is protecting black money… Only the PM who stays at 7, RCR, will eat, others will not,” she added.
Maintaining that Trinamool Congress has been raising the issue on all platforms, she said: “We have met the President, raised the issue in Parliament, Assembly and in public meetings. All Opposition parties are fighting together. I am in touch with other Opposition parties as well. I will fight even if I am alone… If people raised voice, they will be dubbed as bad and holder of black money.” On the land purchase by the BJP, Mamata said: “They have amassed huge wealth. How did the fakir (read PM) get so much money?” Earlier in the day, Mamata claimed that 90 people have died due to hardships following demonetisation.
“One month since demonetisation was announced. More than 90 lives lost. How many more Modi babu?” she said on Twitter. In a statement, she claimed: “One month of harassment, pain, hopelessness, financial insecurity and utter chaos… That is all that the common people has got after the black decision on demonetisation announced a month back on November 8.
“Production has nose-dived, agricultural activities have been shattered, buying and selling is down drastically, the economy is in shambles — the entire country is passing through an unprecedented financial emergency… Untold sufferings have come down in the lives of farmers, labourers, workers of unorganised sectors, tea garden, beedi and jute workers, employed class, students, sick, old and infirm people,” she added.
“The common man is helpless. Mothers and sisters have been forced to give away their small personal savings to run the family in the face of serious cash crunch… No one knows when this unfortunate ordeal will end. No one knows when good senses will prevail to stop this mindless harassment and sufferings of common people. No one knows what good has happened to the country and its people with this big, black decision,” said Mamata. Calling for immediate action to restore trust and confidence of the people, she added: “People must have hassle-free access to their own money and feel secure that their money is safe with banks and financial institutions.”