Kharge hits out at PM Modi over withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes, says he is 'troubling' people

Mallikarjuna Kharge

AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the RBI's announcement on the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation, terming it as another "note bandi" to trouble the people.

Calling the newly formed Congress government in Karnataka as "a government of love", he assured that all the five promises made to the people ahead of polls will be implemented.

"Modi has issued another new order. Whenever he goes to Japan, he will issue a 'note bandi' notification and go. When he went to Japan last time he had done a Rs 1,000 note bandi. This time when he has gone he has done Rs 2,000 note bandi," Kharge said, in a jibe at the Prime Minister.

Addressing the gathering after the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah as Karnataka Chief Minister and his Cabinet, he said, "He (PM) doesn't know whether it will benefit the country or cause loss. The 'note bandi' that Modi has been doing and has done this time too, he is troubling the people." In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank on Friday announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation but gave public time till September 30 to either deposit such notes in accounts or exchange them at banks. Unlike the November 2016 shock demonetisation when old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were invalidated overnight, the Rs 2,000 notes will continue to be a legal tender till September 30.

Echoing Rahul Gandhi's "hatred" barb at the BJP, Kharge said, "Our government here is a government of love, which will take everyone together." Reiterating that in the first cabinet meeting the new government will implement the five guarantees for the people, he said, along with that "we will fulfill all the promises we have made".

"We will not say something and do something as BJP did, we will walk the talk. We will implement all the five promises," he assured.

The Congress has promised to implement the ‘guarantees’ — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti), on the very first day of assuming power in the state.