Reiterating his support to the Centre's demonetisation decision, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today described the move as a "courageous step" even as he admitted that "poor arrangements" in its implementation were causing hardship to the common man.
He also dismissed reports of "confusion or fissures" in the grand alliance in Bihar over the demonetisation issue.
Kumar described the Centre's demonetisation decision as "sahsik" (courageous), which, he said, would help in the fight against black money.
However, the attack on black money would yield better results only when scrapping of notes is coupled with attack on benami properties and prohibition, the chief minister said.
"While supporting demonetisation in principle, I, with equal strength, criticise the poor arrangements for its implementation due to which common man is facing hardship," Kumar, who is also the JD(U) National President, said.
"I am seeing a minus with plus whereas many others are seeing only minuses," he said.
"See the speech of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament yesterday. Nowhere did he denounce the spirit of demonetisation but highlighted monumental mismanagement in carrying it out," he said.
"This is the view of almost every party, even those opposed to it, and everybody is referring to improper arrangements to carry out demonetisation," he said and sought to know "how is my stand different from others on the issue?"
Rubbishing reports of "confusion or fissures" in the grand alliance due to the divergent views of alliance partners Congress and RJD on the issue, Kumar said, "The grand alliance is only in Bihar and on issues concerning Bihar. On issues outside the state every party is privy to its own viewpoint...There is no confusion or fissures in coalition".
The Bihar Chief Minister had first favoured the Centre's demonetisation decision while addressing a 'Chetna sabha' at the start of his second leg of 'Nishchay yatra' in Madhubani on November 16.
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Asked about Mamata Banerjee's remark that his stand on demonetisation was due to some "rajnitik majboori" (political compulsion), the Bihar chief minister dismissed it.
"What majboori do I have? Is expressing one's viewpoint a majboori...I always speak with strength what I feel is right," he said.
"If you examine your past record you will find despite being in NDA then I had taken a different position on Pranab Mukherjee as a candidate for Presidentship," he said in support of his views.
When asked whether Mamata Banerjee had discussed with him about the stir against demonetisation, Kumar said, "she had spoken to me before going to Rashtrapati Bhawan and I had pointed to her that even the President has supported demonetisation."
"My views on demonetisation as a positive step to fight black money got further strengthened when I read the views of President Pranab Mukherjee, who had been the Finance minister of the country, who too justified demonetisation," Kumar said.
On report of "fissures or confusion" in the grand alliance in Bihar over demonetisation, Kumar who is heading the JD(U), RJD and Congress coalition ministry in Bihar, Kumar dismissed it.
"Every party is privy to its own viewpoint on issues outside the state...Alliance of parties does not mean submergence of ones identity," he said in the presence of state Congress President and minister Ashok Choudhary.
Choudhary while leading a protest march against demonetisation on Wednesday had criticised BJP-led government and on Nitish Kumar supporting the decision.
Choudhary had commented that the alliance in Bihar was stiched by party high command and the state unit would follow leadership decision if it decided to snap the ties.
"What wrong did he speak? Can he go against if his party leadership decides to walk out of the alliance," Kumar said in presence of PCC chief.
He said media reads too much on every event.
