HYDERABAD: Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha,
Mallikarjun Kharge, on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre of destroying the Indian economy through
demonetisation.
"On this day (November 8) in 2016, the Prime Minister announced the decision to ban currency notes in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. In the last five years after demonitisation, unemployment has risen, small businesses were hit and closed as Modi spoiled the country's good economy through demonetisation," Kharge told a media conference in Hyderabad.
He lashed out at the Modi government for misleading the people of India that demonetisation was done to dig out black money or at least curb it. Many of the large number of people who lost their jobs due to demonetisation are yet to get them back. It will remain as a black day in history, added Kharge.
The senior
Congress leader alleged demonetisation did not reduce black money, terrorism or cash transactions but instead reduced jobs, income and the country’s gross domestic product. Later Kharge tweeted: "Can anyone name one beneficiary of demonetisation apart from the BJP and its leaders.”
"The day of demonetisation announcement will remain as a black day. Today, the currency notes in circulation continue to rise with over Rs 28 lakh crore,” he added.
Referring to former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai's apology to congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, Kharge said it only vindicated the Congress' firm stand that the entire 2G spectrum case was a huge conspiracy backed by the BJP and RSS to inflict a destabilising blow on the then Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.
Rai had tendered an unconditional apology to Nirupam for wrongly mentioning him as one of the MPs who had pressured him not to name former Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh in the CAG report on the 2G spectrum allocation.
Kharge accused Rai of acting as another puppet of the conspiracy and also demanded that he apologize to the nation for his lies.
He also slammed the BJP-led NDA government over the small reduction in petrol and diesel prices, saying ''it was too little and too late and will not benefit the people much."
caption: Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a media conference in Hyderabad on Monday.