Javadekar pulls up Pawar over demonetisation remarks

In a veiled attack on Sharad Pawar, Prakash Javadekar said things would have been different had Indira Gandhi listened to Y B Chavan's advice.

Thane, Dec 19: Hitting back at Sharad Pawar over note-ban remarks, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has said Y B Chavan's "disciples" should at least understand his "teachings" today as things would have been different had Indira Gandhi listened to his advise on demonetisation.

The Congress party was in power at the time and if the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had listened to the advice of Chavan, her cabinet colleague, on demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not have been compelled to take the note ban decision, Javadekar said at a function at the Dombivili Gymkhana here last night.

"Chavan was firm on demonetisation but no one in the government was ready to take his advice on it. His disciples should at least understand his teachings today," he said, in a veiled dig at NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

Pawar has slammed Modi for dragging Indira Gandhi into demonetisation debate by saying that the then Prime Minister virtually rejected Chavan's proposal in that direction. Javadekar said black money and corruption had become cancerous to the society and to get out of its grip there was a need for a firm decision, which was taken by Modi.

"For the last 70 years people have been standing in queues for procuring rice and kerosene but now for some time they are required to stand in queues for the betterment of the nation," he said, adding that most people have welcomed the decision.

PTI