Demonetisation: Arun Jaitley and Manmohan Singh spar over note ban

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday called demonetisation a 'watershed moment' while former premier Manmohan Singh said it was a "reckless step", as party rivals clashed on the eve of its first anniversary

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday called demonetisation a "watershed moment" while former premier Manmohan Singh said it was a "reckless step", as party rivals clashed on the eve of its first anniversary to be observed today as 'anti-black money' day by the BJP and 'black day' by Congress. 

Singh and Jaitley were locked in a fresh war of words after the Congress veteran said he is repeating what he said earlier that demonetisation was an "organised loot and legalised plunder."

Arun Jaitley. Pics/PTI

Jaitley hit back. "Anti-black money drive is an ethical drive. Anti-black money step is a moral step. What is ethically and morally correct has to be politically correct. The loot had happened in 2G, CWG and coal block allocation," he said.

Manmohanu00c2u0088Singh

At an interactive session with businessmen and traders organised by the Congress in Ahmedabad, Singh said, "Demonetisation has proved to be a mere blister to reap political dividends while the real offenders have escaped. I repeat, this was an organised loot and legalised plunder."

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