West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday met Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel at the state secretariat in Kolkata to discuss her concerns over the Centre’s demonetisation drive. While praising the RBI as a “big institution”, Banerjee said “it should not be politically misused”.

Patel was in the state to attend a RBI central board meeting where Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress members and Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged anti-demonetisation drive demonstrations. Congress workers also held protests at the city airport while Patel was leaving.

In a letter handed over to the central bank’s chief, Banerjee wrote, “We expect you to stand up against this demonetisation onslaught on the common people of the nation at this moment of crisis, rather than falling silent.” Patel told mediapersons that “the meeting was good”, and Banerjee said she was satisfied with the discussion.

The Trinamool Congress Party leader said, “I availed the opportunity to express views of the common people. Neither the prime minister nor Parliament is available. Patel is a direct man,” she said. In her letter, Banerjee raised her concerns about the state-wise allocation of currency which she says was influenced by “political discrimination”. She said the country’s unorganised sector “had collapsed” while the farmers are going through “a trauma never seen before”.

Banerjee has been vocal about her opposition to the “draconian decision” to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, which Narendra Modi had said was made to fight black money and corruption.