Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership of compromising the confidentiality of the government decision to demonetise Rs500 and Rs1,000 currency notes to favour their party, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) yesterday claimed that big amounts had been deposited in the accounts of its West Bengal unit in the days preceding the announcement.
However, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied it had any prior knowledge about the demonetisation.
“Just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on November 8, Rs10mn was deposited in a savings bank account that belongs to West Bengal wing of the BJP. It clearly shows it was aware of the impending ban on higher denomination notes,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member and state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra told reporters.
“In a span of six days, approximately Rs30mn was deposited in the same account, No.554510034. I want to ask the BJP leadership whether it is normal for their party to receive such high amount in cash on a weekly basis,” he claimed.
Mishra also made a veiled allegation that the BJP central leadership had deposited a huge amount of money in bank accounts before the demonetisation, so that their party does not face a fund crisis before the impending elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
“It is possible that BJP leaders were well aware of this ban and that is why, deposited huge amounts in banks across the nation to make their black money white,” Mishra said.
Soon after Mishra’s media meet, the BJP state leadership dismissed the allegation, saying such transactions were completely legitimate and done regularly to take care of the expenses needed to run a political party.
“We are obliged to provide the details of our source of fund to the election commission and the income tax department whenever it is needed. The BJP does not indulge in unethical transactions. We believe in the banking system of the country,” party’s state vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar said.


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