Steps for cashless transactions desperate act to mislead: Congress

Congress on Thursday termed the steps announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to promote cashless transactions as a "desperate attempt to mislead and confuse" the country.

Party leader Anand Sharma charged the government with being discriminatory in announcing such measures and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologises for unleashing financial anarchy on the country. "What the finance minister has said today is a desperate act to mislead and confuse. In a country where less than 3 per cent use credit cards and debit cards, as per World Bank report only 11 per cent of Indians use cheque transactions.

"How can you overnight transform India into a cashless society? I charge the government with being discriminatory and violative of the legal rights of the people. How can you say that you can do e-ticketing you will get compensation and those not having e-tickets will not get compensation in case of an accident," he asked.Sharma said Jaitley understands law and should know the "illegality" of what he is saying."You cannot discriminate. PM should apologise and atone for unleashing financial anarchy on the country," he demanded.