'Jan Aakrosh': Opposition hits the streets against note ban

Dubbing the BJP-led government at the Centre as "anti-poor", Opposition parties on Monday hit the streets across the country to protest the note scrapping decision.

During their 'Jan Aakrosh Divas', opposition leaders and party activists accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of pushing the country into an "unprecedented financial turmoil" and questioned why he was not speaking in Parliament on the issue.

Raising slogans, they demanded steps to ease the problems being faced by the people due to the demonetisation drive. They decried the invalidation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes as "anti-poor and pro-corporate" and demanded that the government let people use the old notes until it makes new notes available.

Here are a few glimpses of protests from across the nation.

"We believe the Prime Minister has brought the country to a standstill. He has imposed 'deshbandi' (holding country hostage) with 'notebandi' (demonetisation). "90 per cent of our people do cash transactions every day. Their lives have been hit quite hard. We are protesting against all this," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said during the protest in Delhi. In the image: The protest march by Left parties on its way to Jantar Mantar from Mandi House. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to demonstrate outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence against demonetisation, vowing to dislodge him from the seat of power if the scrapping of high value currency notes is not withdrawn. "The entire country is suffering. There is no money in banks, ATMS. So far 80 people have died due to the hardships caused by demonetisation. But Narendra Modi is having a sound sleep and giving lectures on taking the country towards cashless economy," she told a rally in Kolkata. In the image: Trinamool supporters during Mamata Banerjee's rally against demonetisation in Kolkata on Monday. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo

Hundreds of workers from various opposition parties, led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, were arrested when they staged protests across Tamil Nadu against the Centre over the manner in which the demonetisation was being implemented. Besides DMK, leaders and workers of its allies -- Congress, IUML and Left parties were among those who hit the streets as part of the nation-wide protests, slamming the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as a "war on rural poor" and causing "hardship" to the common man. In the image: CPI activists scuffle with the police in Chennai. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

In Jammu, Congress activists staged protest at a few places against demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President G A Mir said, "The common people are bearing the brunt of this ill-thought-out move of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many innocent people have lost their lives while standing in queues (outside banks) to get their money exchanged. This is a financial emergency imposed by the BJP government." In the image: Police detain senior state Congress leaders during their Jan Akrosh rally in Jammu. Photograph: PTI Photo

The Samajwadi Party asked the BJP-led NDA regime to introspect the demonetisation move and said that 'Aakrosh Divas' is aimed at safeguarding the interests of the nation which stands extremely distressed. "The opposition parties in various states have come up with their respective slogans (opposing demonetisation). So, we have called for a 'Jan Aakrosh' because India is automatically witnessing a shutdown now as the entire market is closed," Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal said. In the image: Congress workers protest against the demonetisation in Lucknow. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

In Bihar, Congress, RJD and CPI-ML took out a protest march on the streets of Patna and stalled traffic movement at some places. Road traffic was, however, normal and attendance in offices, banks and schools and colleges remained by and large unaffected. Train services were hit at Darbangha, Madhubani, Masauri in rural Patna, Ara, Jehanabad and other places. In the image: AAP workers protest against demonetisation in Patna on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo

People in central Delhi protest against the government's decision to withdraw 500 and 1000 Indian rupee banknotes from circulation. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

Leaders and volunteers of the Left parties and VCK court arrest in Puducherry, after stopping Mangalore Express in Puducherry. Photograph: PTI Photo

Samajwadi Party workers block a railway track near Prayag Station as part of a nation-wide protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move, in Allahabad. Photograph: PTI Photo

Anger has spilled out on the streets as they are forced to stand in long queues at banks to deposit their money. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters