BJP downplays Chandrababu Naidu's criticism of demonetisation

New Delhi: Playing down its ally and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's criticism of demonetisation, BJP on Wednesday said the TDP leader has not said anything different from what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have said about difficulties faced by people.

"What he is saying is nothing different from what Modi said, that there should be least difficulty to the common man. He indicted to the government for expediting money circulation," BJP national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh told reporters.

Asked about Naidu's denouncement of people handling the exercise, Singh said the Andhra Chief Minister's statement is also being "grossly misreported".

A day after making critical remarks on demonetisation, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday, said his comments were "distorted" and that he has been supporting the exercise.

He, however, said problems arising in the aftermath of demonetisation "continue" as "we are going (about them) in a routine manner."

"We have to take an innovative approach," he remarked. Singh noted that the TDP had supported demonetisation soon after Modi announced it on November 8 and the regional party had cited Naidu's past comments supporting the move.

Naidu, who heads a 13-member committee appointed by the central government to look into demonetisation issues, had warned on Tuesday that unless remedial measures are taken, people's woes would continue in the long-term.

Addressing a party event, he had said that demonetisation was not as per "our wish" and that a "lot of problems" still remain without any solution in sight.

Singh also defended the RBI after it did a U-turn on customers depositing demonetised notes over Rs 5,000 till December 30 and said there will be no questions asked, for both single and repeat deposits if the accounts are KYC-compliant.

It is not a U-turn but a "pro-active" RBI which has done a "course-correction", he said.

RBI and the government have made it clear that they do not want people to face inconvenience and thus they take feedback and make decisions, he said.