Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said former prime minister Manmohan Singh was right to call demonetisation a monumental mismanagement. He said that it’s high time that the government disclosed how much back money and fake currency had been detected so far. “There is no use in diverting attention from the issue,” he said. Kumar was speaking at the launch of Congress senior leader P Chidambaram’s new book Fearless in Opposition.
Kumar’s Friday’s remark is a contrast to his previous stand on the issue. The chief minister had earlier said that demonetisation was a courageous move, though he had noted that poor execution had inconvenienced the common man. “While supporting demonetisation in principle, I, with equal strength, criticise the poor arrangements for its implementation due to which the common man is facing hardships,” he had said on November 25.
Later, in December, Kumar had said he would reassess his support for demonetisation after December 30. He had also held that a fully cashless economy was not possible in India and noted that the country still had “miles to cover in this direction”.
On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes will no longer be legal tender. He said the move was taken to fight corruption, black money and counterfeiting. The scrapping of old notes led to severe cash cruch in the country. Modi had asked for time till December 30 for situation to get back to normal.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!