Quelling the rumours that Rs 10 coin has been withdrawn and declared invalid, district authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit have said that anybody refusing to accept the currency could be charged with sedition.
"The Rs 10 coin is a national currency and no one has the right to refuse it as the government of India promises to pay the value of the currency to the bearer. According to RBI (Reserve Bank of India) rules, those who refuse to accept the Indian currency can be liable for action under section 124A (sedition) of IPC. And we will strictly enforce it," Pilibhit District Magistrate Masoom Ali Sarwar said on Saturday.
For a last few months, several districts in UP, Haryana and capital Delhi have been hit by rumours that the Rs 10 coin is no longer valid. Rumours say that that some counterfeit coins in two designs had flooded the market.
Shopkeepers, kiosks owners and autorickshaw drivers now outright refuse to accept the coin which was first introduced in 2010.
Even a WhatsApp message saying that the coin has been declared invalid by RBI and is now banned has been circulating in the region, following which shopkeepers and customers have stopped accepting the currency.
Even after several announcements by the authorities that the coin was very much in circulation, the rumours did not stop.
RBI on Tuesday clarified that the coin was very much in circulation and those who refuse to accept it, could face legal action.
RBI spokesperson Alapana Kilawala said that the coin is very much valid and people should not hesitate Rs 10 coins for transactions as these coins are legal tender.
