PM Modi behaves like 'pickpocket', alleges Yechury

Launching a frontal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said the demonetisation move is neither combating black money nor combating counterfeit currency, adding that the people who have looted the banks are instead going scot-free.

Addressing the media, Yechury said the CPI (M) has decided to campaign amongst the people exposing the real nature of demonetisation.

"It is neither combating black money nor combating counterfeit currency. It is on the contrary which is being legalized and the lives of the people have become difficult. Kisans (farmers) are killing themselves," said Yechury.

"The lives of crore of people have been destroyed. The CPI (M) has decided that we will conduct our independent campaign and we will appeal to the Left parties and others who agrees with us to join, that independently the CPM will conduct during the month of January a campaign amongst the people exposing the real nature of this demonetisation.people who have looted the banks are going scot-free," he said.

Expressing serious concern about the BJP's claim that demonetisation has achieved the desired result and helped to put an end to the black money menace, Yechury asked the government as to why there was a delay in lifting the restrictions on withdrawals.

Yechury also wondered as to how the saffron party can claim "victory against black money" when the government has not produced data on money that was returned to banks and restrictions on withdrawals continue.

Taking his concern to social media, Yechury alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken away the money of people like a "pickpocket" and contested the claim about economic growth not being affected much.

He also charged Prime Minister Modi of helping black money hoarders to exchange it with white money and said the government was "playing fraud" by claiming that the growth rate will be 7.1 percent despite the note ban.