PANAJI: The inconveniences faced by the public post-demonetisation will continue beyond the 50-day deadline of December 31, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference during his Goa visit, Mr. Rao said, “We cannot go back to the pre-demonetisation days because the purpose of targeting black money and encouraging cashless transactions will be defeated.”
Replying to a question on black money stashed abroad, he said the Special Investigation Team under Justice (retd.) M. B. Shah is doing its job; bilateral agreements are being signed to make sharing of information on bank accounts easy.
“Amendments have been made to the banking laws to tackle deposits of old currency notes without explanation. Law has been made stringent against Benami property transactions so that action could be taken against illegal cash, gold, properties and foreign assets.”
On the demonetisation being perceived as an economic emergency, Mr. Rao said despite the difficulties, the decision has greatly helped the poor. He rejected as highly-exaggerated the apprehensions expressed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it may lead to a two-digit decline in GDP in near future.
He said the BJP’s track record on electoral reforms is better, though its initiative in 1998-2000 to make corporate funding for political parties transparent, hadn’t worked well. He, however, said the government will approach the Election Commission to call a meeting of parties to reach a consensus on public electoral funding.
The BJP spokesperson distanced the party from mining baron Janardhan Reddy on lavish spending on a marriage in the family, but, said a great deal of austerity was exercised at the wedding of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s daughter at Nagpur.
