After facing severe flak, chartered accountants’ apex body ICAI has withdrawn a controversial diktat that was seen as a purported gag order warning its members against making public any “negative personal views” regarding the Government’s demonetisation move “in a remote possible way”.
The “advisory”, a copy of which was purportedly also published on ICAI’s website, invoked “the spirit of the ICAI -- Partner in Nation Building” to ask all its members “to be more cautious and careful while advising their clients, sharing/writing their views on any platform regarding demonetisation and work towards the best interest of the nation”.
After severe criticism from various quarters, the advisory has been pulled out from the website.
Separately, ICAI has also clarified that a purported audio clip in the name of its President M Devaraja Reddy, containing views on economic matters such as demonetisation and tax reforms, doing the rounds on social media is “fake”