AGARTALA, Nov 9 (TIWN): On the 2nd anniversary of Modi's demonetization, along with the national level protest of Congress, Tripura Congress activists led by Congress President Birjit Sinha and top leaders as Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, Gopal Roy have also observed "Black Day" to mark the anniversary of Demonetization blaming demonetization has ruined Indian Economy. Addressing media, State Congress President Birjit Sinha said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetization killed 120 people in bank rows, economy has downed. This demonetization was held to make the black money of BJP leaders into white. Amit Shah is an example who turned his 700 crores of black money into white and the common men suffered. Thus, in protest of Demonetization under Congress National President Rahul Gandhi we have launched the protest. To common men we want to tell that behind the pathetic economic condition only and only PM Modi is responsible". The Congress leader further said, "Each institution under Modi Govt has been tried to be politicized including Supreme Court, CBI RBI". Congress also raised slogan, 'Modi Chokidar Chor Hai'

Noteworthy, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday defended the high-value currency ban announced this day two years ago, even as the Congress warned the government not to resort to “further unorthodox, short-term economic measures”.

The opposition party’s warning followed reports that the government may invoke the never-used section 7 of the Reserve Bank of India Act to issue directions to the central bank. Media reports also suggest the government is seeking a transfer of 3.6 trillion—more than a third of the reserves of the central bank—to itself.

It also comes against the backdrop of a growing perception among critics that demonetization caused a lot of distress without achieving much.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley countered an attack by a host of Congress party leaders led by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, saying that demonetization made tax evasion harder. The total number of income tax filers when the Modi administration assumed office in 2014 were 38 million. The taxpayer, the minister said, had to pay not only his taxes, but in order to run the system of governance, also pay the share of the evaders. “Hence there was a need to formalize the Indian economy,” Jaitley said in an interview to national broadcaster Doordarshan. In FY18, 68.6 million income tax returns were filed.