Demonetisation biggest scam in independent India: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Keeping up with his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has termed demonetisation as "the biggest scam" of Independent India, accusing him of "benefiting" the rich industrialists at the cost of poor under the pretext of patriotism.

Aam Aadmi Party volunteers protesting over demonetisation of high value currency notes, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi today distributed pamphlets of Kejriwal's letter to the countrymen alleging that demonetisation involved a scam of Rs 8 lakh crore.

"These billionaires have usurped Rs 8 lakh crore until now, of which the government has waived off Rs 1.14 lakh crore.

"The government estimates that deposits worth Rs 10 lakh crore would be deposited in banks. This will be used to waive off remaining seven lakh crores. Five days after the demonetisation, the government has already waived off Rs 6000 crores of 63 billionaires," Kejriwal's letter alleged.

"This is cheating. The whole country is being fooled. Poor, middle class, traders, farmers, housewives and workers are depositing their hard earned money in the banks and the government is doling it out to the billionaires," the letter reads.

He said in the letter that people are now asking if "attacking" black money was intended then why the big billionaires were not caught who have black money."

Kejriwal also alleged that the country was being "looted" in the name of patriotism and the money deposited by people in the banks will be "doled out" among millionaires.

"People are also saying let the elections come and we will take revenge for each minute spent in the queues," he added.