Demonetisation: Ruling LDF calls hartal in Ker on November 28

The ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala today announced 12-hour hartal on November 28 as part of the nation-wide agitation by opposition parties against demonetisation, which the front said has "caused hardship to common man."
"The demonetisation of high value notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 by the Centre without making alternative arrangements has caused untold sufferings to people," LDF Convener Vaikom Viswam said in a statement.
He charged that under the cover of demonetisation, the Centre was trying to wreck the strong c-ooperative sector in the state.
The November 28 hartal would be observed between 6 AM to 6 PM. Banks, newspapers, milk supply, hospitals and marriage functions would be exempted from the shut down, Viswam said.

However, the Congress-led UDF opposition distanced itself from the hartal.
UDF said it would instead hold a picketing in front of the Raj Bhavan here on November 28 as part of the nation-wide stir.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the hartal would only further aggravate the hardship faced by common people.
The LDF's hartal announcement comes in line with the CPI(M)'s call to observe November 28 as "All India Protest Day" against the withdrawal of Rs 500/1,000 currency notes.
LDF also asked the Centre to allow the use of demonetised currency till alternative arrangements were made till December 30.

Commenting on denial of appointment for an all-party
delegation from the state to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the co-operative sector issue, Viswam said it violated all democratic norms and showed "PM's arrogance".
As part of its agitation against the Centre, LDF activists todaybegan a 24-hour day-night state-wide stir on problems faced by the co-operative sector in the state after demonetisation.
LDF members also organised sit-in dharnas at various centres in panchayats, municipalities and corporation levels.
Inaugurating the dharna here, Viswam said the agitation was to "protect" the cooperatives.
An all-party delegation led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had planned to meet Prime Minister today, but the plan got cancelled after the PM's office denied appointment.

Vijayan had dubbed PM's stand as an "insult" to the state.
Meanwhile, state Finance Minister T M Thomas Issac asked the Centre to allow government staff and pensioners to withdraw in cash an amount not exceeding their salary/pension from the banks andtreasuries during the first ten days of December.
In a letter to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, he requested relaxation of the limit of Rs 24,000, which was imposed on cash withdrawals in the first fortnight after the demonetisation.
A special Kerala Assembly session convened on November 22 had passed a resolution asking the Centre to allow co-operatives to exchange old notes and accept deposits in commercial banks.

LDF had also held a dharna, led by the Chief Minister, in front of the RBI office here on the issue on November 18.
Meanwhile, state BJP President Kumanam Rajasekaran said the state government itself was responsible for the present situation in the cooperative sector.
The party has maintained that cooperative banks in the state were not following the 'KYC' norms of RBI and that they were a "hub of black money hoarders.