‘Kejri rubbished note idea in 2013’

Mayank Gandhi, former colleague, says Delhi CM had showed no interest.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the ban on the usage of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, a link between Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the notes has emerged.

According to Mayank Gandhi, Mr Kejriwal’s former colleague, the latter had rubbished the same idea when it was discussed with him way back in 2013.

Mr Gandhi, who had contested the elections from Mumbai North West constituency, during the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and was also a core committee member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has claimed that Mr Kejriwal didn’t pay heed to the request.

“I categorically remember after one of our India Against Corruption protests in Mumbai, I along with some members of (advisory body) ArthaKranti met Kejriwal at a friend’s house in Kemps Corner where we gave him a thorough presentation on the need for removal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes,” said Mr Gandhi.

Mr Gandhi claimed that Mr Kejriwal showed no interest and even rubbished the idea. “He showed no interest in the proposal even then,” he said.

Mr Gandhi, a founding member of the AAP, had quit the party over the removal of senior leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, who had quit the party over differences with other leaders.

However, Mr Gandhi claimed that Mr Modi had taken half measures, but had failed to completely curb the menace as he has brought Rs 500 notes back and introduced a higher denomination of Rs 2,000.

Reacting to Mr Gandhi’s claims, the AAP said that it felt he has lost his mental balance or he “suffers from Alzheimer’s”. “India Against Corruption has always been against using bigger denominations, so we don’t know why Gandhi is making these accusations. Apart from this, we do not endorse the way Mr Modi has done this thing as he has inconvenienced many and it also shows his failure to bring back black money from outside,” said Preeti Sharma Menon, national leader of AAP.