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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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
