RBI withdraws 'Rs 2,000' note: Exchange facility available in banks till September 30 | DETAILS

In an apparent jibe at defectors, the Goa Congress asked them to check their 'khoke' (crores of rupees) to see if they consist of Rs 2,000 banknotes, which were withdrawn from circulation by the RBI on Friday. "Hello Defectors! Keep check on Rs 2,000 notes in your #Khoke, otherwise it will not be OK," Amarnath Panjikar, head of Goa Congress media cell, tweeted. September 14, 2022, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldesai, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes had jumped the ship from the Congress to the BJP, reducing the grand old party's strength to just three in the 40-member Goa Assembly. The very next day, then Congress' Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had alleged that the BJP paid Rs 30-40 crore each to the MLAs to defect, questioning why the Income Tax Department or the Enforcement Directorate was not looking into the issue. Rao had said that a 'split' conspiracy was hatched by the BJP in collusion with Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo. "These eight MLAs defected for power, money and to avoid threats from the agencies for whatever wrong they have done," he had said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP-led government at the Centre on Friday over the RBI's decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation, saying "some people realise their mistakes too late". The Reserve Bank of India on Friday announced the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation but gave public time till September 30 to either deposit such notes in accounts or exchange them at banks. Reacting to the development, Yadav tweeted in Hindi, "Some people realise their mistake too late… The same happened in the case of the Rs 2,000 note, but the people and the economy of this country will have to pay for it." "Governance works not through arbitrariness but through wisdom and honesty," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added. In a statement issued in the evening, the RBI said Rs 2,000 notes currently in circulation will continue to be legal tender. It said the notes can be exchanged in banks from May 23. According to the RBI, around 89 per cent of the Rs 2,000 notes were issued before March 2017 and are nearing the end of their estimated life of four-five years.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday hit out at the government after the RBI announced the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation, saying the Rs 2,000 note was a "band-aid" to cover up the "foolish decision" of demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The former Union finance minister said that a few weeks after demonetisation, the government and the RBI were forced to re-introduce the Rs 500 note and he will not be surprised if the Centre re-introduces the Rs 1,000 note as well. In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation but gave public time till September 30 to either deposit such notes in accounts or exchange them at banks.

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday welcomed the decision of the Reserve Bank of India to withdraw Rs 2,000 currency notes. "I have been professing since a long time to abolish currency notes of higher denomination which is the root cause of corruption, laundering, hoarding and bribing of voters," tweeted Naidu, who had opposed introduction of the high denomination currency. "This will not only boost the economy but also add tremendous value to the efforts of honest individuals who work with integrity for the larger good of people," he said. Naidu feels that the move will help check distribution of money among voters to a large extent. "The decision to ban the Rs 2,000 notes is certainly a very good sign. I had submitted a report on digital currency long ago and the scrapping of the notes will certainly check corruption. Politicians are trying to win the polls by distributing money to the voters and Rs 2,000 notes are playing a major role in this. Now, this can be checked to a great extent," Chandrababu Naidui said while addressing a huge gathering at Anakapalle as part of his ongoing 'Idemi Kharma Mana Rashtraniki' programme.

The Nationalist Congress Party on Friday slammed the Union government over the announcement by the Reserve Bank of India to withdraw Rs 2000 denomination currency notes from circulation. The RBI announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation and said existing notes in circulation can either be deposited in bank accounts or exchanged by September 30. "What has the government achieved by introducing the Rs 2000 note and what is it going to now achieve by withdrawing these notes. Demonetisation was hailed as a big success. If that was the case, what is the reason for the withdrawal of Rs 2000 currency notes," asked NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto. Several person lost their lives after demonetisation was announced in November, 2016 and the Union government must answer why citizens are being harassed with such decisions, he said.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday hit out at the government after the RBI announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation, saying the Rs 2,000 note was a "band-aid" to cover up the "foolish decision" of demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The former Union finance minister said that a few weeks after demonetisation, the government and the RBI were forced to re-introduce the Rs 500 note and he will not be surprised if the Centre re-introduces the Rs 1,000 note as well. In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation but gave public time till September 30 to either deposit such notes in accounts or exchange them at banks. Unlike the November 2016 shock demonetisation when old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were invalidated overnight, the Rs 2,000 notes will continue to be a legal tender till September 30. In a tweet, Chidambaram said, "As expected, the government/RBI have withdrawn the Rs 2,000 note and given time until September 30 to exchange the notes. The Rs 2,000 note is hardly a popular medium of exchange. We said this in November 2016 and we have been proved correct."

The Congress on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the Rs 2,000 banknotes introduced with such fanfare after that "singularly disastrous" demonetisation decision of November 8, 2016, are now being withdrawn. In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: "Typical of our self-styled Vishwaguru. First Act, Second Think (FAST). 2000 rupee notes introduced with such fanfare after that singularly disastrous Tughlaqi firman of Nov 8 2016 are now being withdrawn." His remarks came after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced to withdraw the 2,000 bank notes from circulation but said that it will continue as legal tender till September 30. The RBI in an official communique said, "In pursuance of the 'Clean Note Policy' of the RBI, it has been decided to withdraw the 2000 denomination banknotes from circulation". "The banknotes in 2000 denomination will continue to be legal tender." It also said that all banks shall provide deposit and/or exchange facility for 2000 banknotes until September 30.

Maharashtra's opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Friday slammed the move to withdraw the Rs 2,000 denomination currency notes by September 30 as "an admission of failure" by the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre. Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said that all the tall claims of the BJP in November 2016 that black money, terrorism, etc will end with the demonetisation of the erstwhile Rs 500-Rs 1000 currency note would end, have been proved hollow. "Instead, they introduced Rs 2000 denomination currency notes and now these are also being taken off circulation. It's a clear admission of the government's failure," he said. Nationalist Congress Party ((NCP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto asked that the government must first clarify what were the exact benefits when the Rs 2,000 notes were introduced, and "how will it gain now that these same notes introduced with fanfare are being withdrawn from the circulation". "The demonetisation was termed as a 'big success' by the government which had immediately introduced the Rs 2,000 currency notes in the market. If that is so, then why are these notes being withdrawn now and the people being harassed like this," he asked.

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