People overwhelmingly supported note ban decision: Shah

Despite facing hardships owing to demonetisation and the opposition's misinformation campaign, people have overwhelmingly supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's note ban decision, BJP chief Amit Shah said on Friday.

Shah also asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s fight against corruption through the demonetisation decision will bring the party to power in all the five poll-bound states.

Addressing the media about the two-day BJP national executive meeting that began here on Friday, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Parliamentary Board members felicitated Modi for the historic decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.

Summarising Shah's address at the meet, Javadekar said that demonetisation has not only exposed the opposition but also taken away the plank of 'poor' from them.

"Shah hailed as historic the decision to conduct surgical strikes on terrorists across the border and demonetisation. He said that decisions should be taken in the interest of the country with a long-term view and not a populist view," Javadekar told the media.

"Despite facing hardships, having had to stand in queues, people have overwhelmingly supported demonetisation. In fact, during the 50 days of pain, people have voted for the BJP.

"People have given us massive victories. We have done very well at various polls in West Bengal, Tripura, Maharashtra, Assam, Chandigarh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Of the 10,000 seats where elections were held, we have won a massive 8,000," said Javadekar.

"The overwhelming support for demonetisation has not only exposed the opposition but has snatched the plank of 'poor' from them," he said.

The minister asserted that the party will come to power in all the five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa -- where polls are scheduled between February 4 and March 8.

At the meeting, Shah also talked about electoral reforms and advocated for simultaneous conduct of general and assembly polls.

--IANS

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