Note ban ‘celebration’ akin to cutting birthday cake on victims’ graves: Sena

The ‘note ban’ debate is endless four years after its stock-taking; you would rarely hear anybody favouring its urgency, minus the government side. But what lends demonetisation debate to roadside political banter are the remarks from those who were once a part of the NDA government but are now in the opposite camp. The Shiv Sena is among them.

Curiously smug and self-assuredly blunt as the head of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, the Sena on Tuesday (November 10) said “celebrating” the fourth anniversary of demonetisation because of which many people “committed suicide” and businesses destroyed, is akin to cutting birthday cakes on their graves.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena termed the 2016 decision — when it was a part of the NDA government — as a “black chapter” in India’s history. The Sena’s partner, the Congress, too, has, and had, described the note ban in the same flourish of rhetorical condemnation.

Also read:4 years on, search for DeMo aim continues amid shrill rhetoric

The Sena claimed the note ban and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hit the country’s interests hard. “To celebrate the (demonetization) decision because of which many people embraced deaths…jobs were lost…committed suicides and trades and industries destroyed, is akin to cutting a birthday cake sitting on the graves of all such people,” the editorial said.

Speaking on the fourth anniversary of demonetisation of currency notes of ₹500 and ₹1,000 on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the move helped reduce black money and gave a boost to transparency.

The Sena also said that the BJP raised issues like the construction of Ram temple and death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput in the Bihar Assembly polls, but they failed to click with the people.

“But the atmosphere in Bihar changed after (RJD leader) Tejashwi Yadav promised 10 lakh jobs. His rallies saw huge turnouts. These included unemployed youth mostly. What does this indicate?” the Shiv Sena asked.