Mayawati, Akhilesh hit out at BJP over DeMo

The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party on Friday tried to corner the BJP over the demonetisation issue, terming it a failure and demanded an apology from the ruling party.

"They (BJP) had sought 50 days, but now two years have passed after demonetisation... People are still awaiting an answer that except running business and increasing unemployment, what benefit has it given? If the government considers it a success, it should tell (people) in whose pocket the benefit went," SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said.

BSP supremo Mayawati, too, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for the decision. "After two years of demonetisation, any of the objectives as claimed by the BJP were not met. The BJP should offer an apology for the move. The BJP government at the Centre will be remembered as a government of failures in which none of the promises made to the people were fulfilled," she said in a statement.

Describing the move as an "economic emergency", the Dalit leader said resentment was brewing among the people as the BJP, which promised to bring back black money and ensure "acche din" (good days), stands exposed.

"While demonetisation broke the back of the poor, it helped the BJP men make their black money white by depositing them in banks.

"Whatever facts and data available state that due to the immature decision taken in haste, nothing could be achieved except aggravating problems of the people," Mayawati said.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added that the saffron party should avoid "confrontation" with constitutional and autonomous bodies as it was not in the interest of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, had announced a ban on the then-in-use Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination notes with immediate effect.

The BJP-led government had defended the move, saying it was necessary to wipe out illegal money stashed away abroad.