While addressing the diaspora in Japan on Saturday, PM Narendra Modi thanked Indians for welcoming the demonetisation move of his government and hit back at those who criticised the decision. He said while some people are busy poking others to make them speak against him, the public accepted the decision despite facing inconvenience.

Asserting that the move was aimed at flushing out black money, the PM said the inconvenience caused to Indians would be a short term problem. “When I was thinking about this move, I was pondering about the problems people would have to face. I was not thinking about the benefits. And this is something I couldn’t tell anyone. It had to be sudden. People who can hoard can dispense it as well. So it had to be kept a secret,” the PM said at the gathering to rounds of applause.

“This government will do everything to protect the interests of honest citizens, but those who have been hoarding black money will not be spared,” he added.







Since the government move on Tuesday night, people have been flocking to banks and ATMs in a bid to exchange old currency. Opposition politicians like Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee have asked for the decision to be roll-backed in the light of public inconvenience.