Rahul Gandhi takes dig at RBI, says govt should hire math 'tutor'

New Delhi, July 13: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and senior party leader P. Chidambaram on Thursday poked fun at RBI Governor Urjit Patel over his remarks that the scrapped notes deposited after the November 8 demonetisation were still being counted.

"GOI (Government of India) looking for a math tutor. Please apply to PMO ASAP (as soon as possible) (smiley)," Rahul Gandhi posted on Twitter attaching a report by Firstpost.

Chidambaram also took a dig at the Reserve Bank of India chief, asking if the central bank had not heard of "leasing".

"RBI buying note counting machines eight months after demonetisation! Has the RBI not heard of 'leasing'," the former Finance Minister tweeted.

Eight months after demonetisation was announced in November 2016, the RBI chief refused to give the total amount of junked notes deposited with various banks, saying they are still being counted.

Patel is learnt to have told a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance that the process of counting scrapped notes was still on and the central bank has to verify fake notes for which specialised machines are being procured.

While some machines have been procured, tenders have been floated to procure more, Patel was quoted by sources as having told the committee.

Patel said the total money in circulation in the country now was Rs 15.4 lakh crore against Rs 17.7 lakh crore at the time of demonetisation, according to sources.

Chidambaram also slammed the National Democratic Alliance's Mudra scheme, under which the government claimed to have generated self-employment opportunities for more than seven crore youth. "7.28 crore youth self-employed under MUDRA loan scheme -- that is title of mythological serial beginning today. Scriptwriters may apply," Chidambaram posted on Twitter.

IANS