Shatrughan Sinha, former actor known, said his criticism of demonetisation has been misunderstood.
Highlights
- Sinha says notes ban good idea but badly handled
- He had earlier slammed PM's survey on notes ban
- Sinha says PM needs advice from veteran LK Advani
Shatrughan Sinha says that just because he publicly disagrees with his party, the BJP, on virtually every major decision it takes, don't assume that he is at cross purposes with it.
"I have been with the party for the last 28 years and don't know where these people were then, but they comment on me just to garner some publicity," he said to ndtv.com, referring to a top BJP leader in Bihar, Mangal Pandey who suggested that Mr Sinha should consider joining the Congress since he appears so discontent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to withdraw 500- and 1,000-rupee notes.
Mr Sinha, a former movie star known for his theatrical delivery, said his criticism of demonetisation has been misunderstood. "I salute the PM for his timely, bold, wise and great step but feel that his team has let down him," said the 66year-old, reiterating that women and rural India are being punished with the sudden withdrawal of 86 percent of the notes that were in circulation.
Just two days ago, Mr Sinha, who represents Patna in parliament, tweeted about "planted surveys" placing subscribers in "fools' paradise," an unsubtle dart thrown at a poll conducted by PM Modi on his official app that showed most people back his reform, aimed at eradicating black money and corruption.
He said to ndtv.com that to quickly rescue a worrying crisis that has left rural India precariously placed without any cash, the PM should form an advisory committee headed by BJP veteran LK Advani with former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha as a member.
Both senior leaders have largely been sidelined by PM Modi. Mr Sinha is close to Mr Advani.
The advisory panel could include former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr Sinha said, an opinion that is unlikely to ease his reputation as a habitual baiter of his party's top leadership.
Speaking in parliament last week, Dr Singh, a reputed economist, trashed the abolition of high-denomination notes as "a monumental management failure" which amounts to "organised loot and legal plunder."
In retort, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley suggested that it is tough to accept as credible criticism from those "leaders who were there when the most scams took place," a reference to the outsized corruption scandals that dogged Dr Singh's government, which was crushed in the 2014 election by the BJP.
But Mr Sinha, diverging again from his party's line, said the former Prime Minister has "a clean image and nobody can say he is a beneficiary of any scams" and " must be listened to seriously," a stand also taken by the Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP.