JOIN USDemonetisation has squeezed terror funding in the country, including in Jammu and Kashmir, and therefore attackers are now targeting banks as they need more currency, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Monday.
“In the last few months, security forces have had an upper hand over terrorists. In 2008 to 2010, we saw thousands of stone pelters on streets. In the last few months, there have not been more than 25-50 or 100 stone pelters on the streets. There is one reason: terror funding has been squeezed," Jaitley said replying to a debate on supplementary demands for grants in the Lok Sabha.
Jaitley said the same is true of Chattisgarh, where terrorists were now breaking bank lockers.
“The Uttar Pradesh resident, Sandeep Sharma, who was arrested for being an LeT module in South Kashmir was a welder and used to break open bank lockers,” he said.
He said among several benefits of demonetisation, one is that buying property with cash has almost become impossible.
“In times to come there will be a change in people’s mindset of doing politics and business in cash,” he said.
Jaitley said the recently introduced GST, along with demonetisation, has been able to curb corruption and black money in the country. It has increased tax payers base and has impacted the direct taxation in the country too.