PM Narendra Modi congratulates Indians on winning black money battle

Calling demonetization a "historic and multi-dimensional success" on its first anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated 125 crore Indians for fighting, and winning, a decisive battle against black money.

In a series of tweets under #AntiBlackMoneyDay, Modi said: "I bow to the people of India for steadfastly supporting the several measures taken by the government to eradicate corruption and black money."

In another tweet, he attached a 7-minute documentary film, showcasing him as the harbinger of a new era in a corruption-ridden India, and benefitting the poor and punishing the corrupt rich. In the video, the PM said that when he became the PM, the country was in a dire state due to corruption and black money. He called demonetization a step that was never taken before or even thought of in the independent India.

In yet another tweet, the PM asked the countrymen to share feedback on demonetization on NMApp.

"People have received multiple benefits from demonetization, such as a reduced rate of interest for loans, a decrease in real estate prices, increased income of urban local bodies, and so on," he said.

In a slide posted on Twitter, Modi called the move a "decisive blow to terrorism and Naxalism". He claimed that stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir have come down by 75 per cent and incidents related to the Left Wing Extremism were down by 20 per cent. He further noted that as many as 7.62 lakh counterfeit notes have been detected, so far.

Toeing his line, BJP leaders, including many Union ministers, also enumerated the "benefits" of demonetization, claiming that the move exposed black money, forged a more digitised economy, and widened the tax base.

Describing the move as an effort to change the prevalent economic situation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "India wants to migrate from middle-income economy to a developed one. But in our system, most big investments are done through black money. Even in businesses, people maintain two types of (accounts) books. People are always trying to evade taxes."

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said the decision led to 58 per cent growth in digital transactions and an increase in the number of taxpayers. The Centre's scrapping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, last year, hurt those who had black money, he added.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani flagged off a Digital Rath in the Capital this morning, to create awareness regarding cashless transactions. Interacting with traders, Irani said small merchants were the backbone of economy and a less-cash society will bring in more transparency.

National secretary of the Confederations of All India Traders, Praveen Khandelwal, said the Digital Rath will travel from Delhi to Lucknow, Kolkata, Puducherry, Mumbai, and Bhopal till December 31, reaching out to 10 lakh people.

Meanwhile, BJP chief Amit Shah attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who had tweeted a picture of an anguished ex-serviceman, Nand Lal, to pan demonetization, saying that people will no longer be misled by such falsity. Shah cited the former soldier's remarks to the media, wherein he had supported the note ban decision.

Seeking to embarrass Gandhi, Shah tagged a fresh interview of Lal. He added that the Congress always grabbed power with false portrayal of the poor but it was no longer possible to dupe the country with "false tears and pictures".

"The real face of the Congress has been unmasked and a new India has emerged," the BJP chief tweeted in Hindi, with his own poetic barb at Gandhi.