BJP lambasts TMC for opposing Rs 2000 notes withdrawal; 'Many leaders lost their sleep'

West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday lambasted the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for attacking his party over Reserve Bank of India’s decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation. Majumdar remarked that many TMC leaders lost their sleep after RBI announced for Rs 2000 currency withdrawal. 

While speaking to reporters, Majumdar added that when Rs 2000 note was introduced in 2016, it was done to deal with the shortage of notes due to the demonetisation of Rs 500 and 1000 notes at that time. "Many TMC leaders have lost their sleep with this announcement. They will face a lot of trouble. Common people are not worried, leaders like Mamata Banerjee are worried because their party's money is kept in such Rs 2,000 rupee notes," Majumdar added.  

Common people are not worried, leaders like Mamata Banerjee are worried because their party's money is kept in such Rs 2,000 rupee notes. When Rs 2,000 note was introduced, it was done to deal with the shortage of notes due to demonetisation, because the larger the note, the more… pic.twitter.com/gLNV2OXY0i

— ANI (@ANI)

TMC slams BJP over RBI's decision

Majumdar's fierce remark came after the TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on Friday slammed the BJP-led union government over RBI's decision to withdraw Rs 2000 note from circulation. While claiming that demonetisation in 2016 destroyed the country's economy, Ghosh said, "We have seen how the country’s people faced hardships during the demonetisation in 2016. It has destroyed the country’s economy and claimed several lives."

"The BJP again wants to thrust similar hardships on the people through its decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes. High-value notes were demonetised (in 2016) with a claim that it would curb black money. But in reality, it helped some people convert black money into white. Demonetisation destroyed the country’s economy and small businesses and a lot of people lost their jobs,” he added. 

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has also opposed the RBI's decision, asserting that the withdrawal of the Rs 2000 note will hit the common people hard once again by subjecting them to massive harassment. Taking to Twitter she added, "These imperious measures are meant to camouflage the fundamentally anti-people & crony capitalist nature of this regime. Such misadventures by an oligarchic & authoritarian government will not be forgotten by the people at large at the time of reckoning."  

Another whimsical & Tughlaqi demonetisation drama of Rs.2000 notes will hit the common people hard once again by subjecting them to massive harassment. These imperious measures are meant to camouflage the fundamentally anti-people & crony capitalist nature of this regime. Such…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial)

RBI announces withdrawal of Rs 2000 banknotes 

The Reserve Bank of India on May 19 issued an official notice announcing the decision to withdraw Rs 2000 denomination banknotes, which was introduced in November 2016, after the withdrawal of the legal tender status of all Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes in circulation at that time. According to the official notice, people can start exchanging their Rs 2000 notes from May 23 till September 30. The RBI has set a limit of Rs 20,000 which can be exchanged for the older Rs 2,000 currency notes at a time.