NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of creating "propaganda and myth" for imposing 'financial emergency' across the country in the name of curbing black money, saying the former does not has the right to impose withdrawing limits of the people.
"What right does Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Prime Minister Modi have to tell people, who have savings accounts, that we will impose limits on how much one will withdraw. With one statement, they have tarnished more than 60 percent of the working population saying that all money in circulation was black money," Congress leader Anand Sharma told a press conference here.
He said the government's decision to impose ban on the circulation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes has become a nuisance to farmers and small shop owners who primarily deal with physical cash.
"Does a farmer, who is paid in hard cash, carry any black money? Does a small owner trades in black money? This government is getting carried away with its own propaganda. It is high time that it knows what the ground reality is before the situation goes out of control," Sharma said.
Sharma said when during the erstwhile UPA's regime, the government had withdrawn a particular series of Rs. 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in January 2014 and people were given sufficient notice to exchange their money.
The senior Congress leader also questioned the BJP's stance on curbing black money, saying the information about new Rs. 2,000 notes had leaked even before the Prime Minister's announcement.