Demonetisation starved maoists and separatists: Arun Jaitley

MUMBAI: Demonetisation has starved Maoists and separatists in Jammu & Kashmir of funds, weakening their activities, finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday. “Earlier, before demonetisation, stone pelters used to gather in the thousands on the streets of Kashmir, but now not even 25 gather for such agitations…

Separatists in Jammu & Kashmir and Maoists in Chhattisgarh have been starved of funds,” Jaitley said at the ‘New India Pledge’ function organised by the Mumbai BJP.

Demonetisation helped bring currency, which was being circulated outside the formal banking system, back to the system, he said. He took on the Congress for its criticism on the government’s handling of the Kashmir issue. “The earlier government did not solve the Kashmir issue, then what right do they have to question us?”