Cong releases videos of 'govt officials' claiming they can exchanging old notes after Demonetisation
New Delhi, May 4: The Congress on Saturday released three video clips purportedly showing "government officials" who claimed they could get old notes exchanged months after demonetisation, and alleged that it was done at the behest of the BJP.
At a press conference, Congress leader Kapil Sibal showed the three videos apparently from 2017 shot by an investigative journalist. There was no authentication of the clips by the party or any other agency.
No immediate reaction was available from the BJP.
The first video was shot in a car in Delhi on March 27, 2017. According to Sibal, a serving sub-inspector alleged in the clip that Piyush Goyal, who was BJP's treasurer, regularly instructed security personnel posted at BJP Headquarters to let in specific vehicles without any checks.
He also introduced the journalist to a couple of retired IAS officers who agreed to get the currency exchanged, Sibal alleged.
The Congress leader claimed the second video was shot in Delhi on March 27, 2017 and the same official discussed the exchange of notes with a face value of Rs 300 crore.
Sibal claimed that in the third video from April 1, 2017, a government official said the new currency notes were printed in Moscow. Extra notes were printed, more than the value of demonetised currency, the Congress leader said.
Sibal said, if elected, the Congress would carry out an investigation into the matter. He termed demonetisation an "ill thought" decision.
"Demonetisation apparently was the biggest political scam India has ever seen. The victims were the hapless 1.25 billion people," Sibal said.
"It benefited a few and the stated objective of eradicating unaccounted cash from the economy failed miserably. Demonetisation was a godsend for 'dalals' who earned a fat commission in exchange of old currency. Black money is back in the system," he added.
Sibal said one of the objectives was to discourage the use of cash and check the currency in circulation to reduce flow of black money, but now cash is being used in a "big way".
"As per RBI data, currency with the public in 2018 reached a record high of over Rs 18.5 lakh crore, more than double of Rs 7.8 lakh crore (in 2014). The total currency in circulation also increased exponentially -- from Rs 17.97 lakh crore in November, 2016 to Rs 21.42 lakh crore in March, 2019," he said.
"Claims that demonetisation will eliminate both fake notes and deal a fatal blow to terrorism have turned out to be hollow. The people who had black money quietly converted their currency through dubious and fraudulent means," he said.
Sibal said Modi has failed to prosecute the corrupt.
"Demonetisation allowed black money to be generated and stashed abroad which is reflected by the latest data released by Zurich based Swiss National Bank (SNB), where money deposited by Indians rose over 50 per cent to 1.01 billion swiss francs (Rs 7,000 crore) in 2017, a year after notes ban," he claimed.
LIVE: Press briefing by former union minister @KapilSibal. https://t.co/FRO1n7RH8L
— Congress Live (@INCIndiaLive) May 4, 2019
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Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
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Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
