Short-lived cheer

The government’s crackdown on black money might not have unearthed major unaccounted-for assets of big shots but it sure has had its moments. A roadside jalebi and vada pav vendor from Mumbai declared assets worth Rs 50 crore under the Income Declaration Scheme. A news website picked up the story and the whole episode went viral. The Prime Minister’s supporters left no stone unturned to claim credit and demonstrate how successful the scheme was. Only hours later they realised it was a year-old event — it happened before last year’s demonetisation of certain bank notes. The cheerleaders fell silent promptly.