Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's office on Sunday, 8 November, tweeted saying that the demonetisation move announced fours years ago on this day was an "unprecedented attack on Black Money" and "also led to better tax compliance and a major push to digital economy."
In a series of tweets from her account as well as those from her office, Sitharaman sought to highlight the beneficial impact that the move had after it was announced four years ago, on 8 November 2016.
"Demonetisation not only brought transparency and widened the tax base, it also curbed counterfeit currency and increased circulation," her office's handle tweeted, with the hashtag 'DeMolishingCorruption'.
The PM also tweeted how demonetisation “helped reduce black money,” giving a “boost to transparency.”
Union Minister for Health Dr Harsh Vardhan also tweeted, “Rs 1,30,00,00,00,000 – that's the amount of self-assessment tax accrued from identified non-filers post demonetisation.”
These tweets come on the fourth anniversary of the demonetisation move that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, which rendered the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes invalid.
The move was followed by long queues of people outside banks across the country for several days, with the Opposition hitting out at the government for the economic distress it caused.
‘National Tragedy’: Rahul Gandhi
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed PM Modi over the move, saying on Sunday that "demonetisation was a well thought-out move of the PM so that the loans of millions of crores rupees of 'Modi-friendly' capitalists could be waived with the money of the general public."
"Do not be mistaken – it was not a mistake, it was done intentionally. Raise your voice on the fourth anniversary of this national tragedy," he tweeted in the Hindi, using the hashtag 'SpeakUpAgainstDeMoDisaster'.
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