Chidambaram attacks Centre over Demonetisation policy

Nagpur: Former Finance minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday launching an attack on the Centre, termed the demonetisation move as the 'biggest scam of the year'. The former finance minister while addressing media here claimed that no one in the world has a good word for the decision and demanded that the move should be investigated.

Chidambaram said,“Demonetisation has broken the back of poor people, a case of khoda pahad nikli chuhiya.” "Not even a national calamity would have caused so much suffering,” the former minister stated. Chidambaram also stated the move as an absurd and thoughtless one and said, "every major newspaper and economist has condemned it.”

The former Finance Minister said that the government should have at least consulted economists before taking such decision. Chidambaram said, “Government should have consulted Yashwant Sinha at least, he is their own man. They could have consulted For Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. There are over a 100 officers involved in budget making, till today its never leaked. What secrecy is this?"

What else Chidambaram stated:

• Has this stopped corruption, black money?
• The objective is not being served by this. Only poor people are being punished.
• The goal post keeps shifting. It is no longer about black money as now they have found a new one called cashless economy.
• To assume that India will go from 3 per cent to 100 per cent cashless, in a matter of few months, is an outlandish expectation.
• What calculations did the government do to say that one can withdraw Rs 24,000 when banks don’t have enough cash to dispense?
• 45 crore people have been affected due to this, who will compensate them?
• Why District Cooperative Central Banks were kept out?
• This move has resulted in farmer suffering as there was no money to buy seeds, hire labour or purchase fertilisers.
• Why the Prime Minister should not be present in the House when a debate on demonetisation was underway.
• Why should not the PM be present in the House when we are discussing demonetisation? He should listen to us. How is it an unreasonable demand?