West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday slammed the BJP-led central government over the Reserve Bank of India’s decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes from circulation, calling it a “billion dollar hoax” for one billion Indians.
He also said that the hardships faced by the people due to the 2016 demonetisation cannot be forgotten.
“So it was not a Rs 2,000 bang, but a billion dollar scam for a billion Indians. Wake up my dear brothers and sisters. The pain we have suffered due to demonetisation cannot be forgotten and those who caused it should not be forgiven.
His party Trinamool Congress also criticized the BJP-led central government over the RBI’s move to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes from circulation, saying the “arbitrary” decision would hurt the country’s economy as the 2016 demonetisation did. Was.
The CPI(M) and the Congress also claimed that the introduction of the Rs 2,000 note helped some people accumulate black money.
The RBI said earlier in the day that unlike the sudden demonetisation of November 2016 when old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were invalidated overnight, the Rs 2,000 notes will remain valid till September 30.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, ‘We have seen how the people of the country faced difficulties during demonetisation in 2016. It devastated the country’s economy and took many lives. The BJP through its decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes again wants to impose similar hardships on the people.
The TMC leader said that the BJP has made the country’s economy a ‘child’s play’.
“High-denomination notes were demonetised (in 2016) with the claim that it would curb black money. But in reality it helped some people to convert black money into white. Demonetisation destroyed the country’s economy and small businesses and many people lost their jobs.
The TMC supremo had then opposed the Centre’s decision.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that the demonetisation of 2016 was a curse for the Indian economy.
“It was imposed on the people and left the economy in recession. Many had to pay with their lives for the cynicism of the Narendra Modi government,” said Choudhary, who is also the president of the West Bengal Congress.
He said the Congress had suggested that the government should announce the date and time of demonetisation so that people could be prepared for it.
“Our former PM and noted economist Manmohan Singh had predicted that the economy would lose 2 per cent of GDP due to demonetisation and it proved to be correct. Now, even today’s decision (withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes from circulation) will not help the economy,” Choudhary said.
He said then PM Modi had promised that demonetisation would curb black money and fake notes and help reduce terrorist activities on Indian soil.
“However, the introduction of Rs 2,000 note actually helped some people to hoard black money,” the Congress leader claimed.
CPI(M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the Narendra Modi government decided to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes only six years after its introduction.
“It is a surprising decision and it seems the prime minister has no explanation for it,” he said.
Chakraborty claimed that the 2016 demonetisation may have helped unscrupulous people instead of achieving the stated goal of curbing black money.
The RBI did not say what would be the status of Rs 2,000 notes in private hands after September 30. Earlier, the government had made it an offense to deposit old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes after their expiry date.
Sources said banks will exchange Rs 2,000 notes till September 30 and legal action will not be taken against those holding the notes beyond the specified date.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI,