Opposition parties have organised what is being called a “Jan Akrosh Diwas”, or “public outrage day”, on Monday to protest against poor implementation of the Centre’s demonetisation scheme. The Congress, which had made the first call for the countrywide demonstration, clarified on Sunday that it had not called for a Bharat bandh (a nationwide shutdown). However, though banks, schools, government offices and so on were expected to function regularly, services were affected in a few states.

“There will be protest rallies; we have not called for a ‘Bharat bandh’,” senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre of spreading misinformation, IANS reported. “The country has already been shut since November 9, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation move, which is why we don’t want a Bharat bandh”.

On Sunday, Modi had said, “I am blocking black money and corruption and some are giving call for Bharat bandh. Should there be Bharat bandh or should the route of corruption be blocked?”

Other Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Left Democratic Front in Kerala and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, later joined the protests. In Tripura, banks, schools and colleges, private offices and stores remained closed as the Left-ruled government called for a 12-hour strike against demonetisation.

Congress workers were detained for holding protests in Jammu, and the DMK treasurer and other party workers were taken into preventive custody by the Chennai Police. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and leaders of other parties, including DMK, Communist Party of India and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, protested at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the Parliament building.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said she would not participate in the demonstrations because she felt people had been inconvenienced enough by the demonetisation decision. But contrary to her announcement, workers and leaders of her Trinamool Congress party, took out a protest march in Kolkata against the currency ban. Banerjee also participated in the rally.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has supported the scrapping of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, had said his Janata Dal (United) would not join the protests. The Telangana Rashtra Samithihas, Haryana’s Indian National Lok Dal and the Karnataka Congress backed out of Jan Akrosh Diwas as well, according to The Indian Express.

Congress leaders in Delhi will march from Mandi House to the Parliament on Monday as part of the protest. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi are expected to lead this demonstration, which will include “beating empty canisters and plates as a symbolic act to wake up a sleeping central government...which has caused unexplainable misery to the common people”, the party said in a statement.