West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday continued her criticism of the Narendra Modi administration’s demonetisation drive and called on the prime minister to “step aside” after the Indian economy’s “darkest month ever”, The Times of India reported. She said he had “no moral right to continue” as prime minister.
Her statements follow the Centre’s announcement of a slew of measures to promote a cashless economy in India to mark the initiative’s completion of a month. The Trinamool Congress chief compared the government to a salesman selling plastic cards. “Nothing has changed for the better as the prime minister had promised,” she said at press conference. “Instead, growth rate has suffered due to the man-made economic crisis.”
“What’s more is that it is a one-man dictatorship, a political emergency,” Banerjee continued, also questioning the government’s motive in incorporating the Goods and Services Tax regime on a priority basis.
The West Bengal chief minister has been vocal about her opposition to the “draconian decision” to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, which Modi had said was aimed to crackdown on black money and corruption. TMC leaders had claimed that their party chief had been the target in an assassination plot because of her opposition to the Centre’s move. The Parliament, where the Winter Session is on, has been in a deadlock for three weeks over the note ban debate.
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