Manmohan Singh's rebuke of demonetisation is just sycophancy, says Pradhan

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that former prime minister Manmohan Singh's rebuke of demonetisation has risen out of the latter's compulsion to show allegiance to the Gandhi family.

"This is Manmohan Singh's helplessness. Just to show allegiance to that family, he has to say wrong things. GDP figures have just come out and all his questions have been answered," Pradhan told ANI today.

Earlier in the day, the former prime minister termed November 8 -the day when ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 was implemented- as a "black day" for the economy and democracy of the country.

"I invoke memories of more than 100 people who lost their lives while standing in queues as a result of demonetisation. I say with immense pain and a sense of deep responsibility that the 8th of November was a black day for our economy and democracy," Singh said at a press conference in Surat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 on November 8, in a bid to curb the hoarding of black money in the country.

The masses however were hard hit by the move, which suffered severe cash crunch and had to stand in long queues outside banks and ATMs, to withdraw money.

The impact of demonetisation on curbing corruption remains a bone of contention.