Opposition parties to protest against government on demonetisation on November 8

New Delhi, Oct 23 : The Congress and other opposition parties have planned to hold a protest in Delhi against the government's economic policies as also demonetisation on November 8, the day the decision to junk high currency notes was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the coordination committee of the parties held in Parliament House on Monday and attended by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, JD-U leader Sharad Yadav, BSP's Satish Chandra Misra, TMC's Derek O'Brien, DMK's Kanimozhi and CPI's D Raja.

Talking to reporters later, Azad said that the leaders of 18 opposition parties had formed a coordination committee that also includes CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury and Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav. 

Both Yechury and Ram Gopal Yadav were not present at Monday's meeting and Raja represented the Left parties.

The 18 opposition parties had come together for the presidential and vice presidential elections and had decided to coordinate with each other to take on the government on various issues concerning the people. They had also decided to form a coordination committee.

Azad has been authorised to consult leaders of other opposition parties and the protest programme will be announced at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday. 

"A coordination committee has been constituted which held its first meeting today. The committee will discuss the issues and future programmes and then take on board the other opposition parties which are not in the coordination committee," Azad said. 

Sources said the meeting decided to hold a joint protest against the "fallout of government's economic policies including GST and demonetisation."

Interestingly, the joint opposition protest will be held a day before Himachal Pradesh goes to the polls and amid campaigning for the Gujarat elections.