From Our Bureao
NEW DELHI: Former finance minister and Congress veteran P Chidambaram on Friday said “demonetisation has come full circle” as it was an expected move.
In a tweet, he said: “As expected, RBI has withdrawn the Rs 2,000 note and given time until September 30 to exchange.
The Rs 2,000 note is hardly a popular medium of exchange. We said this in November 2016 and we have proved correct. This banknote was a band-aid to cover up the foolish decision of demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 which were popular and widely exchanged currencies.”
“A few weeks after demonetiation, the government were forced to reintroduce the Rs 500 note. I shall not be surprised if the government/RBI reintroduces the Rs 1,000 note as well,” he said.
Senior Congress spokesman Pawan Khera on Friday tweeted that the ghost of the 2016 demonetisation has comee back to haunt the nation once again as the RBI announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes which were sermoned by the PM then and now their printing is stopped.
He said: “The government must explain its motive for such a step. Thee government continues its anti-people and anti-poor agenda. Home the media questions it on such a drastic measure and not attribute it to chip shortage in the world.”
Congress general secretary and head of its media department Jairam Ramesh said this is “typical of our self-styled Vishwaguru. First act, Second think (fast).” He tweeted: “2000 rupee notes introduced with such fanfare after that singularly disastrous Tughlaqi firman of Nov 8 2016 are now being withdrawn.”
He noted that the RBI announceed withdrawal of the Rs 2,000 banknotes only after Prime Minister Modi left India on a 3-nation tour, wondering if there is some connection.
Others feared that the government is moving towards a cashless economy by banning all notes above Rs 50 on the alibi of printing cost.
BJP MP Sushil Modi welcomed the decision, saying many rich people have stockpiled the Rs 2,000 notes. People have kept Rs 2,000 notes in black money and it is they who would be worried, he said.
