On RBI's ' ₹2000 withdrawal' move, Chidambaram says ‘shall not be surprised if…’

 After the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the withdrawal of the highest value currency notes from circulation, senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram took a swipe at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying the demonetisation “has come full circle!” The ₹2,000 note was introduced in 2016 after the Narendra Modi-led government abruptly withdrew ₹500 and ₹1000 denominations in what they said was an effort to remove forgeries from circulation.


As the move did create a systemic shortage of cash by taking away 86% of the economy's currency in circulation by value overnight, the government began issuing new ₹500 notes days later, and added the ₹2,000 notes to replenish currency in circulation at a faster pace.



In a tweet, Chidambaram said the ₹2000 banknote is hardly a popular medium of exchange, calling it a “band-aid” to cover up “the foolish decision of demonetising ₹500 and ₹1000 notes.”


“A few weeks after Demonetisation, the government/RBI were forced to re-introduce the ₹500 note,” the former Union minister wrote. “I shall not be surprised if the government/RBI re-introduced the ₹1000 note as well.”

In another tweet, the Congress leader said, " ₹2000 note was never a 'clean' note. It was not used by the vast majority of the people. It was used only by people to keep their black money, temporarily!"

"What has the government achieved by introducing the ₹2000 note and what is it going to now achieve by withdrawing these notes. Demonetisation was hailed as a big success. If that was the case, what is the reason for the withdrawal of ₹2000 currency notes," asked NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto.

The RBI announced the withdrawal of ₹2,000 currency notes from circulation and said existing notes in circulation can either be deposited in bank accounts or exchanged by September 30. The central bank, however, clarified that the ₹2000 banknotes will continue to be the legal tender even after the deadline.

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