West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, one of the staunchest critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday derided the Centre for trying to paint opposition forces as "black."
Banerjee dared the BJP government to arrest all the leaders of Trinamool Congress and said her party was not afraid of it.
The TMC supremo said that BJP would be defeated in the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Punjab as the people have not accepted the decision of demonetisation.
"Only you people (BJP) are white and rest of us are all black. Never before the people of this country had witnessed such a government," Banerjee said while speaking on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the Assembly.
Taking strong exception to the recent comments by BJP leaders that after the UP elections most of TMC leaders will be in jail, Banerjee challenged the saffron party to arrest all the leaders of TMC.
"Recently I have read newspapers reports that all of our party leaders will be arrested in days to come. We are not afraid of such threats. If you want you can arrest all of us. We don't care. The situation is just like you are threatening a kid by saying keep shut or else Gabbar Singh will come," Banerjee said.
She claimed that her government too has list of complaints against leaders of other political parties but it is the decency of TMC that they do not pursue political vendetta.
"You people are saying that you will tie our MPs with trees in New Delhi. But remember that you will not be in power for the entire life. Somebody else might come to power after your term gets over. It is our decency that we don't take action against political leaders of other parties," she said.
"The decision of demonetisation has not been accepted whole heartedly by the people. They have accepted it out of fear. The BJP will lose the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Punjab," Banerjee said.
She said due to demonetisation, revenue of the state government has decreased by 25 per cent.
She said that black money hoarders have only benefited and people who have earned their money in honest and hard way are suffering due to demonetisation.
The TMC supremeo said the people continued to suffer even three months after demonetisation.
"Today, three months have over. Restrictions and sufferings not. Citizens have lost economic freedom. When economic freedom is lost, a main freedom is lost," she said in a series of tweets.
She further said, "DeMo-ReMo derailed the nation. Visionless, missionless, directionless.
"The economy has slowed down tremendously. The nation is facing an acute economic crisis. How much longer?," Mamata said.
"Only few rich capitalists are not suffering. Commoners, middle class, downtrodden, poorest continue to suffer," she added.
Her party also staged a protest on Parliament premises alleging people have been robbed of economic freedom by the Centre's decision three months ago and they "never saw and will never see" such suffering again.
"It has been three months since demonetisation was announced, but people continue to suffer even now. Hence, we are staging protest today," party MP Kalyan Banerjee told reporters.
Banerjee said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated that things would be set right in 50 days after old Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes were withdrawn from circulation.
"Because of Modi's decision...people never saw such suffering caused by any move in the past and will never see again," he added.
Party MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha took part in the protest held near Gandhi statue.
It has 45 MPs collectively in both the houses.
Mamata also criticised the decision to introduce electoral bonds and said her party is in favour of electoral reforms and state funding of elections.
"What is this bond. Is it something of a kind of bonded labour? How would someone know whether this bond is black or white. We are in favour of electoral reforms and state funding of elections," she said, adding that there would be an all party resolution in West Bengal Assembly demanding electoral reforms.
