Demonetisation, a political decision not economic: Sanjaya Baru

JAIPUR: Halfway into its tenure, the BJP government has "nothing but demonetisation" to highlight, which was essentially a political decision aimed at casting Narendra Modi as an anti-corruption crusader, author commentator Sanjaya Baru today said.

Baru, who was the media advisor to former PM Manmohan Singh was speaking at a session at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival here.

"The decision of demonetisation was a political decision not an economic one through which the PM Modi established himself as a powerful anti-corruption crusader.

"The mistake Modi made was to seek a time of ten years from people. Half of his tenure is over. He wasted the initial time and the government has nothing but the decision of demonetisation to highlight," he said.

Baru said although Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had cast himself as the country's foremost anti-corruption crusader in recent times, through note ban, Modi has somewhat weakened the Aam Aadmi Party chief's position.

He was in conversation with writer Vinay Sitapati, who authored the biography of former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

Talking about the reforms made by Rao, Sitapati said the former PM would not have taken the step of demonetisation and instead would have worked in phases to improve the economy.

Both the writers highlighted Rao's role in the economic transformation of the country during his regime.

"Besides economic transformation, he also played a crucial role in the education and social sectors. Many initiatives which we see today were taken by the Rao. Governments which came later also followed and implemented them," Baru, who authored 'The Accidental Prime Minister' said.