Tuesday, November 8- How Modi spooked the Pakistanis

At 8 PM on Tuesday, November 8, Modi declared that the Rs 500 and 1,000 notes were no longer legal tender. It was a strike on black money and fake currency.

New Delhi, Nov 11: On November 8, there was none more spooked than the Pakistanis. Let us refresh what happened on that day. In the morning Prime Minister, Narendra Modi met with the three service chiefs.

By evening, he met with the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. Later on at 7.30 there was a message from the Prime Minister's Office that Modi would be addressing the nation.

The sequence of events resembled a war like situation. However at 8 PM on Tuesday, November 8, Modi declared that the Rs 500 and 1,000 notes were no longer legal tender. It was a strike on black money and fake currency.

How Modi spooked Pakistan?

Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing officials kept a close watch on the developments at Pakistan.

The country was nervous and several of their leaders were in a huddle.
While the meeting with the three service chiefs were being watched closely in Pakistan, what created more worry was Modi's meeting with the President of India who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The nervousness built up further when Modi said that he was addressing the nation. Pakistan had expected the worst and thought that Modi was declaring war on them or a major build up on the border.

However the announcement to demonetise must come as a relief to the Pakistanis. That was however short lived.

Immediately panic spread across the fake currency mafia operating out of Pakistan as they made only Rs 500 and 1,00 notes. These were no longer valid and an industry of over Rs 5,000 crore had been hit.

Was it a diversion?
Analysts, observers and intelligence bureau officials feel that the sequence of events that led up to the decision at 8 was clearly a diversionary tactic. It was a big announcement and moreover a decision that had been guarded heavily since the past six months.

The meeting of the service chiefs followed by a discussion with the President of India were all meant to divert the attention of the people. In some circles people were already sensing some major announcement. In such a scenario, the Prime Minister did not want to give one black money holder even a second's time to dispose off his cash.

OneIndia News