Demonetisation was a monumental blunder, GST hastily implemented: Manmohan

Demonetisation has proved to be a mere bluster to reap political dividends, the former PM said

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday came down hard on the Narendra Modi government’s key policy measures over the past one year, saying while demonetisation was a “monumental blunder”, it was followed up by a “badly designed and hastily implemented GST”.

Singh’s remarks came during his address to youths and small businessmen in Ahmedabad, a day before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was to observe the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8 as ‘anti-black money day’.

“Demonetisation has proved to be mere disaster. One-percentage-point fall in GDP (gross domestic product) costs our nation Rs 1.5 lakh crore. Think