Opposition launches scathing attack on Centre on fifth anniversary of demonetisation

Priyanka Gandhi, Derek O`Brien, Nawab Malik. File pics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016 announced his government's decision on national television to ban all currency notes of higher denomination of ₹500 and ₹1,000 from midnight on the same day. The ‘draconian' move, known as demonetisation, has been facing flak from opposition parties ever since.

On the fifth anniversary of demonetisation, several opposition leaders on Monday slammed the ruling party's move by calling it a "disaster".

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at the Centre and termed demonetisation a "disaster" and asked if the step has been successful, why hasn't corruption ended and black money returned to the country.

"If demonetization was successful then - Why hasn't corruption ended? Why didn't the black money returned? Why hasn't the economy gone cashless? Why nothing has been done to stop terrorism? Why inflation has not been controlled? #DemonetisationDisaster," Gandhi tweeted in Hindi on the fifth anniversary of demonetisation.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik too slammed ruling party saying neither black money came nor corruption has been controlled in five years, instead the unemployment has been increased.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien took to twitter on Monday and said, "Only Mamata Banerjee got it spot on." He shared a screengrab of five tweets by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling out the ‘draconian' decision.

Also read: Prime Minister Modi shifting goalposts on demonetisation: Congress

Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari said that the demonetisation by the BJP-led government at the Centre had failed to achieve any of its objectives in the last five years.

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