Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has termed demonetisation as a ‘Modi-made disaster’ which would be inquired into if the Congress is elected to power at the Centre.
While talking to media persons here on Friday, he claimed, the note ban exercise, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, had pushed the country towards economic disaster and it is the biggest scam of independent India.
Surjewala alleged, "The BJP and RSS purchased huge amount of properties across the country before demonetisation. The Congress has already released a list of eight such properties in Bihar and 18 in Odisha. Whether the BJP and the RSS were privy to the decision of demonetisation should be inquired.”
Levelling charges against the ruling BJP, Surjewala said on the day of demonetisation, the BJP's Kolkata unit deposited Rs 3 crore in old currency into a bank account. Besides, Rs 5.88 lakh crore was deposited in banks a month before the announcement of demonetisation in 2016, he claimed.
Sums totalling Rs 14,293-crore were deposited during demonetisation in cooperative banks in BJP-ruled states, he alleged, adding that this was 65 per cent of the total amount deposited in such banks nationwide. "All such facts should be inquired into," he demanded, adding that the note ban decision had resulted in the slowdown of the economy as well as rise in unemployment.
"The prime minister and the BJP had claimed demonetisation was taken to eradicate black money and fake currency. None of the objectives of demonetisation, like eradication of black money and fake currency in circulation or breaking the backbone of Naxalism and terror activities, have been achieved," he said.
He said demonetisation and all other scams of the present government would be inquired into if the Congress was elected to power.