Congress leader Digvijay Singh today claimed that the demonetisation drive speaks of the Modi government's "failure" and in its bid to target "5 per cent" black money hoarders, it has caused hardship to the remaining population.
He also objected to the "tendency" of branding as "anti-national" those opposing the move to withdraw old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.
"The move aimed at tightening the noose around 5 per cent people with black money has put the remaining 95 per cent people in distress. The decision (to decommission high value notes) speaks of the Modi government's failure," Singh said claimed.
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The Congress general secretary alleged if anyone protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, a team of BJP leaders and "Modi bhakts" (staunch supporters) instantly brand that person as "anti-national".
"An atmosphere is being created under which if you praise Modi, you will be called a nationalist but if you oppose him you will be labelled as anti-national," he claimed.
The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said the NDA government has raised the ceiling under Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) to send dollars abroad from earlier USD 75,000 to USD 2.50 lakh per financial year now.
Under LRS, a huge amount of money has been sent abroad in the current fiscal, he claimed.
"If the Modi Government is honest in tackling the menace of black money, it should make public the names of people who have sent money abroad under LRS in the last one year," Singh said.
He said the demonetisation move has hit the Indian economy hard and forced common people to queue up before banks and wait for hours to get the scrapped currency notes exchanged.
Singh claimed the move to scrap high-value currency notes
will neither check corruption nor put an effective curb on terror financing.
Referring to NIA probes into various bomb blast cases, the Congress leader alleged that efforts are on to get people from right-wing organisations people who are accused of involvement in terror acts absolved.
Alleging that NIA is playing into the hands of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, he claimed, "I have evidence with me and I can say the defence as well as prosecution (NIA) advocates are trying to save the accused of blasts at Malegaon, Modasa (Gujarat), Ajmet, Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and in Samjhauta Express.
