Mayawati says PM fooling people on demonetisation

Addressing the media here, the Dalit leader also termed the Ghazipur Parivartan rally of the BJP a "super flop" and said crowds were hired for it to cheer Modi.

Lucknow, Nov 14 BSP chief Mayawati on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fooling the people over demonetisation by claiming that this will end the menace of black money.

Reacting sharply to Modi's speech in Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh earlier in the day, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said the decision had caused immense difficulties to honest and poor people.

Addressing the media here, the Dalit leader also termed the Ghazipur Parivartan rally of the BJP a "super flop" and said crowds were hired for it to cheer Modi.

"Black money was used in abundance at the rally to ferry people. They were given Rs 200-250 each," she alleged.

Mayawati said due to the hasty and ill-planned decision of the Prime Minister to spike the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, the people of the entire country were on the roads.

There was chaos outside banks while most ATMs were non-functional, she said, referring to the crowds eager to deposit or exchange the spiked currency or withdraw cash.

"The Prime Minister says he was preparing for this decision for the last 10 months. If so, why this chaos all around?"

She said the demonetisation drive had benefited the rich and the Bharatiya Janata Party as they had converted all their ill-gotten money into white while the poor and the honest were left to fend for themselves.

In his speech at Ghazipur after inaugurating a bevy of development and railway projects, Modi took a dig at Mayawati although without taking her name.

He said that some leaders wore garlands of currency notes so big and heavy that even their heads were not to be seen. Such leaders were now spending sleepless nights, Modi said.

IANS