Demonetisation: Opposition parties to hold protest, EAS Shaktikanta Das to brief media

New Delhi: The Opposition parties are planning to hold a massive protest outside Parliament against government's demonetisation move today. All India Trinamool Congress will hold a protest against notes ban at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. In Gujarat, Congress said it would launch a state-wide agitation from Wednesday to highlight "problems" faced by common people in procuring new currency notes following the Centre's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki made this announcement here on Tuesday. "Narendra Modi-led government's move to scrap the notes is anti-people and it has led to rise in unemployment," he said. "The situation is getting out of control. People are going home empty-handed despite standing in queues outside banks for hours. Every section of society, be it farmers, students, labourers, youths, women, and tribals, are facing tremendous problems in getting new notes," Solanki said in a press conference. Meanwhile, keeping up with his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has termed demonetisation as "the biggest scam" of Independent India, accusing him of "benefiting" the rich industrialists at the cost of poor under the pretext of patriotism. Aam Aadmi Party volunteers protesting over demonetisation of high-value currency notes, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday distributed pamphlets of Kejriwal's letter to the countrymen alleging that demonetisation involved a scam of Rs 8 lakh crore. "These billionaires have usurped Rs 8 lakh crore until now, of which the government has waived off Rs 1.14 lakh crore. "The government estimates that deposits worth Rs 10 lakh crore would be deposited in banks. This will be used to waive off remaining seven lakh crores. Five days after the demonetisation, the government has already waived off Rs 6000 crores of 63 billionaires," Kejriwal's letter alleged. "This is cheating. The whole country is being fooled. Poor, middle class, traders, farmers, housewives and workers are depositing their hard earned money in the banks and the government is doling it out to the billionaires," the letter reads. On Wednesday, Supreme Court may hear Centre's plea seeking a stay on all hearings in various Courts in connection with demonetisation issue. Meanwhile, the Economic Affairs Secretary (EAS) Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday will also brief media on demonetisation, may give some latest updates. (With inputs from agencies)