New Delhi: A old video of BJP MP from Delhi, Meenakshi Lekhi, on black money is doing the rounds on social media.
In 2014, the BJP had strongly opposed and slammed the UPA’s government’s decision to withdraw all currency notes issued prior to 2005 and termed the measure “anti-poor.”
In the video, Lekhi play the role of a vocal opposition was talking about black money and its severe impact the common people.
Watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGTaGQCm4NE
“The latest gimmick of the finance ministry to demonetise the notes, printed before 2005, is an attempt to obfuscate the issue of black money stashed outside the country… This measure is strongly anti-poor,” Lekhi said at the time.
“The present government is not in a position to measure the correct quantum of black money because those who have the black money will actually convert into new currency notes. Now the sufferers are the aam aurats(women) and aadmis(men). Those who are illiterates, who have no access to the banking facilities. And they will be ones, who will affected by such diversionary measures. People who have no bank accounts, their life savings will be targetted.”
“They will fall victim to middlemen who will scare them that the notes are worthless and charge them hefty fees to convert them. They will also be ripped off by shopkeepers.”
“This policy of Mr. P Chidambaram is only meant for the blue blood and not for the sweating, red-blooded, toiling millions. It is not going to affect those who have numbered accounts in Swiss accounts, but will hit those who do not have any bank account even in India,” she had said.
Raghuram Rajan, the then RBI governor said that the 2014 move wasn’t “an attempt to demonetise. It is an attempt to replace less effective notes with more effective notes…”
BJP chief Amit Shah denied saying,
Zara bhi nahi kiya tha. koi ek jagah pe bata de. Agar congress aise kehti hai to safeed jhoot bolti hai (we did not oppose (demonetization) a bit, tell us any place where we did it. If congress is claiming such, it is saying white lie).
“I can understand the trouble and pain of tax evaders, terrorists, Maoists and others involved in black marketing, but I can’t understand problems of these political parties…Why are they opposing the government’s move to demonetize currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000,” he said.
Lekhi’s statement stand out in light how BJP leaders strongly opposed the demonetisation.
Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma also questioned BJP chief Amit Shah for doing propaganda on the move as his party had opposed it in 2014 when in opposition.
“Is this hypocrisy? When UPA was in power, BJP opposed organised withdrawal of currency. Has Shri Amit Shah forgotten his own parties words?,” he asked the BJP chief whose party raised strong objections to the move to demonetise currency during UPA.
“Does the BJP have courage in its convictions to comment on their statement from two years ago? Or did they support Black Money then?,” he asked, releasing a copy of BJP’s press statement of February 2014.