Yoga guru Ramdev today hailed the Centre's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes as "financial surgical strike" which will help deposit money in the accounts of poor from the black money unearthed and hit out at Rahul Gandhi for questioning the move.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Ramdev, who has since 2010 been pitching for discontinuation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, said the "historic" decision will help recover Rs 10 lakh crore black money from within the country itself.
Ramdev claimed he had made a proposal for demonetisation of these currencies to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who despite seeing logic in it had "politely" turned it down.
Asked about the Congress vice president seeking to know how bringing in Rs 2,000 currency note would help the government, he said, "Rahul Gandhi should speak to Manmohan Singh... I had moved this proposal before Singh too when he was the Prime Minister. He had told me that my logic was correct, but he politely told me that he could not do so."
Ramdev though insisted the NDA government to ensure that the high-value are printed "not in big number" and see to it that such notes are made "traceable" using modern technology.
"Modiji did the job step by step. He first opened accounts of crores of people. He gave chance to those with black money to deposit their money. And third thing, he did this financial surgical strike which is historic," he said.
"Now, this will benefit employees of seths (rich). The servants too will have Rs 5 to Rs 10 lakh in their accounts. Because those with black money will give the money to their servants to be deposited in the latter's account. These servants will thank Modi," he added.
On West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's criticism of the move, he suggested the TMC president "not to worry", contending those with black money will deposit money in bank accounts of their servants.
"The accounts of the poor will have Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh in their accounts... People used to ask Modiji when will the Rs 15 lakh come? Those Rs 15 lakh will come India itself," he claimed.
When asked, Ramdev also trashed Congress leader Manish Tewari for dubbing Modi as "modern-day Tughlak", saying those who have black money will find the move "Tughlaki".
To a question, he said those with black money should deposit it with goshala and holy places.
"The cow too will feel happy and your money will be saved from becoming mere papers. Holy places will inflow of such money and that money will get channelised to goshala," he said.
Earlier speaking at the inauguration of Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet in Jaipur, he said, "This (demonetisation) is a great decision and will have far-reaching impact. It will curb economic crime and the resources for Naxalism will be curbed by this."
"It is not a mere change but a direction of transformation," he added.
When asked that contradictory to his demand that
high-value currency notes be discontinued, the government plans to bring in Rs 500 and Rs 2000 currency notes, he said the Centre has not accepted RBI's proposal of printing Rs 10,000 denomination notes.
He also suggested the government to print "less number of such notes" to check corruption.
"The government should ensure Rs 500 and Rs 2000 currency notes are made traceable using modern technology," he said.
Ramdev, referring to an RBI report, said out of the total currency notes printed by October 28, 2016, 86 per cent were the notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination and 15 lakh crore such notes were in circulation.
Prime Minister Modi had yesterday announced that denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will no longer be legal tender, as he declared a "decisive" war against black money and corruption.
