New Delhi: Nitish Kumar has made a dramatic U-turn on his stand towards demonetisation saying neither cash-less nor less-cash economy has worked anywhere in the world, and would never work in India.
The Bihar Chief Minister had raised eyebrows earlier when he repeatedly supported the move by his political rival Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scrap high denomination bank notes. Even when the MPs of his party JD (U) were opposing demonetisation tooth and nail in Parliament, Nitish had said it was a “courageous” step.
However, today, at a function in Delhi, he sang a different tune.
“Manmohan Singh was right when he said demonetisation was monumental mismanagement. The Centre has to tell us what the benefit from demonetisation was. They can't divert the issue. When nowhere in the world cashless or less cash economy has worked, how will it work in a country like India? They say we will double farmers' income in five years. But they won't be here in five years, how will they double the income? The people in power today have a tendency to divert the narrative,” he said.
Even at the height of Opposition move against demonetisation, Nitish had refused to change his stand and had suggested it could have been managed better.
“While supporting demonetisation in principle, I, with equal strength, criticise the poor arrangements for its implementation due to which common man is facing hardship," Nitish, who is also the JD(U) National President, had said recently.Also Read | Deendayal Upadhyaya to Demonetisation: Are Modi and Nitish Coming Together?
"In the beginning, people might face some inconvenience but taking everything into account, it would yield positive results," Kumar, who is also the national president of JD (U) said on November 9, a day after the PM announced the scrapping of notes, even while the rest of the Opposition were up in arms.
Kumar has also unequivocally offered his support to the government's move for a Goods and Services Tax Constitution Amendment Bill.
Kumar is also now part of a committee to commemorate the birth centenary of RSS ideologue and mentor Deendayal Upadhyaya, organised by the Centre on September 25. For a politician who once called for an "RSS-mukt Bharat", Kumar's acceptance of a chair to commemorate the centenary of one of the patron saints of Hindutva was seen as an ideological departure.
However, Kumar's pointsman in New Delhi, and senior JD (U) leader, KC Tyagi said there was nothing wrong in being part of a committee to commemorate Deendayal Upadhyay.
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