New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah said on Sunday that the Centre’s much-talked about demonetisation move has taken away the gleam from the faces of BSP chief Mayawati and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, even as crores of rupees of black marketeers have turned into waste.
“Lakhs of crores of rupees of black marketeers have turned into waste after demonetisation. It has also taken away the gleam from the faces of Mayawati and Mulayam,” he said.
Addressing BJP’s ‘parivartan yatra’ in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Shah said those who lost their black money were upset by the move.
“Even Mulayam and Mayawati have lost their sleep after demonetisation,” he said.
Shah, who was speaking at the Lok Sabha constituency of Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, wife of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, also tried to strike an emotional chord with people standing in serpentine queues to withdraw or deposit money.
“I know you are facing problems as you have to stand for hours, but good is going to happen. What do you prefer–black money or country…?” he said.
In a surprise move, the Centre had on 8 November banned the high-denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as part of its crackdown on black money.
The BJP leader also hit out at the “theatrics” of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for reaching an ATM in Delhi to withdraw Rs 4,000 in a car worth Rs 4 crore.
“Congress has ruled the country for years. In that regime scams involving Rs 12 lakh crores were done…You should stop doing theatrics and befooling people,” he said.
Shah also slammed Gandhi for criticising the government over the recent PoK strikes by the Army.
“For soldiers you use words like ‘khoon ki dalali’,” he said.
“Contrary to Congress regime, now we give reply of ‘goli’ (bullet) with ‘gola’ (bomb) and our soldiers have stormed their territory and returned after attacking them,” he said amid applause from the crowd.
The crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are slated for next year.