Demonetisation has reduced crime rate in Mumbai: Manohar Parrikar
Contract killings, extortion and drug trafficking have reduced as there is no money to pay and in case there is, they are old notes.
Panaji: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday claimed that due to the Centre's demonetisation move, the rate of crime in Mumbai, including contract killings, murders, extortion and drug trafficking, has come down drastically.
"The decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a historic one. The blackmoney, corruption money, terror funding and drug money has received a jolt," Mr Parrikar said while addressing BJP's Vijay Sankalp rally in Aldona constituency in North Goa.
"One of my friends from Mumbai was telling me that the supari (contract) killings have reduced there. There is no lack of people offering supari, but there is no money to pay. In the last 20 days, the murder rate has come to half in Mumbai," he claimed.
"The instances of extortion have also reduced in Mumbai. If anyone goes to the builder and tries to extort money, he is ready to give the sum, but that money has no value as they are old notes. Due to this, now the one who wanted to extort money has also stopped. Even here in Goa, extortion attempts from the builders have stopped," he said.
According to Mr Parrikar, the movement of narcotics in Mumbai has collapsed due to lack of money to fuel it.
"Thanks to demonetisation, the crime graph has been reduced in Mumbai. Modi has eliminated drug lords, terror funders, fake notes and black money," he said.
Stating that Goa will become cashless by December 30, Mr Parrikar appealed to the people to cooperate to fulfil this dream of the Prime Minister.
"By December 30, we will become a cashless society. Goa has a capability to become a model state for rest of the states," he said.
"We always feel safe with cash money...A bank manager was telling me that pensioners rush to the bank on every first of the month...He said the pensioners don't feel satisfied till they count notes," Mr Parrikar said.
"But I feel in the current era, there is no need for notes. In the Information Technology sector, Goa's penetration is more than that of Singapore. We can show the way for the country," he added.