'Vendetta politics of Modi, Shah so high that those in govt find it unable to speak'

The Congress on Monday attacked Prime MInister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah saying the "vendetta politics" of the two was so high that those in government find it unable to speak the turth.

"There is a universal truth which everyone knows from November 2016. The truth is that demonetisation was universally considered as a disaster," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told a press conference.

"There is a minority of two people who thinks otherwise, one heads the executive government of India (Modi) and one heads the ruling party (Shah)," he said, adding, "barring the minority of two (Modi and Shah) nobody thinks otherwise."

"It is a different matter that the vendetta politics of these two persons, the anger of these two persons, is so high that those in government find it unable to speak the truth," Singhvi said while responding to former Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat's remarks that demonetisation had no effect on black money in polls.

The former CEC made the remarks after demitting office on December 1.

On November 8, 2016, Modi announced the spiking of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

The Congress leader said that the "truth does not alter if one speaks it even after a gap of some time". "The truth is that a minimum of one per cent or in all likelihood 1.5 per cent of the GDP was shaved off by the ego of one man (Modi)," he said.

Hitting out at Modi, the Congress leader said the truth is either one lakh crore or two lakh crore were put in the garbage can away from the GDP of the country by the ego and obstinacy of one person.

"All can I say, at least apologise to the nation now," Singhvi added.

Earlier, former Chief Economic Advisor Arbind Subramaniam in his book said that demonetisation was a massive, draconian monetary shock that accelerated economic slide to 6.8 per cent in the seven quarters after it against the 8 per cent recorded prior to the note ban.

When asked about the Enforcemenrt Directorate attaching a plot of land allotted to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) by the Haryana government in 2005, Singhvi said that it was completely motivated and done with illwill and malice.

"There is nothing new in this, except election season is here and our point is that it is completely motivated with illwill and malice and it has been repeated many times over," Singhvi added.

--IANS

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