Chandrababu Naidu Welcomes RBI Decision To Scrap Rs 2000 Notes

The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu on Friday welcomed the Reserve Bank of India's decision to withdraw the Rs 2000 denomination bank notes from circulation.

"The decision to ban the Rs 2000 notes is certainly a good sign. I have 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," Mr Naidu said while addressing a huge gathering at Anakapalle as part of his ongoing 'Idemi Kharma Mana Rashtraniki' programme.

RBI on Friday announced that it has decided to withdraw the Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation but they will continue to remain legal tender.

Lashing out at Andhra CM, he alleged Jagan Mohan Reddy is "out to loot the whole state".

Claiming that the prices of all commodities, gas fuel, and other items are skyrocketing in the state, but if anyone raises his voice, false cases are being foisted against such persons, Mr Naidu alleged.

"Is this correct brothers, you should judge this," he asked the gathering. Stating that the country got Independence with the leaders organising road shows like him, the TDP leader said that CM Jagan too tried to organise road shows like this but failed miserably.

"I am happy that the people are gathering in large numbers for my road shows and I thank the police for their cooperation. The leaders of the Opposition parties have every right to conduct road shows like this," Mr Naidu maintained.

Stating that he wanted to transform Visakhapatnam as an IT hub and tourism center besides promoting the city as financial capital after building Amaravathi as the capital of the State, the Mr Naidu said that now CM Jagan is playing a game with these cities. "Jagan has more affection towards your assets but not towards you," he remarked.

The Chief Minister Jagan made every effort to sell the lands in Amaravathi and even in Rishikonda in Visakhapatnam, he claimed, adding that the "atrocities of Jagan are on the rise now."

"I will take the responsibility to provide employment to you all," Mr Naidu said, asking, "How a leader who can not provide employment to youth can call himself the Chief Minister?"

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)