Venkaiah warns people of more action against illicit cash

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Friday cautioned people about more radical steps by the Centre to eradicate corruption and black money from the country.

Naidu was in the city on a mission to allay the confusion and anger among the people, fuelled by the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Lambasting the Opposition for spreading lies and causing a logjam in Parliament, Naidu said the Prime Minister had warned people on his radio talk 'Mann Ki Baat' on June 26 to declare their undisclosed wealth before September 30 or face action.“The deadline fetched the country Rs 65,000 crore, which is meagre as black money constitutes 22% of the economy. People took the warning lightly and now they are suffering. Opposition says that no prior warning was given, ignoring the fact that the essence of this operation was secrecy,” said Naidu.

Naidu said the note ban has dealt a deadly blow to arms smugglers, hawala operators, and terrorists.