On December 3, recently retired Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat gave a statement to the media that the note ban on November 2016 was ineffective in curbing the use of black money in elections in India.
On December 3, recently retired Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat gave a statement to the media that the note ban on November 2016 was ineffective in curbing the use of black money in elections in India.
“After demonestisation it was thought that misuse of money during election will be brought down. But it couldn’t be proved on basis of the data of the seizures. Compared to previous elections, there were more seizures in the same states,” Rawat told ANI. He said that it appears that the political class and their financiers have no dearth of money. “As far as black money used in elections is concerned, there was no check on it,” he added.
Rawat’s statement exposes the utter falsity of the claim made by PM Modi and his government that the note ban was aimed at unearthing black money. It exposes the fact that that while the note ban caused devastation for crores of working people, it has in no way diminished the use of money power by the ruling class, headed by about 150 monopoly capitalist houses, in influencing the outcome of elections, i.e. in determining which political party or coalition can be entrusted to run the government and best serve their interests.