Speaking at the ongoing DG level talks between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) in Delhi, BSF Chief K.K. Sharma has said that demonetisation has helped curb the smuggling of fake currency. He said, “Smuggling of Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) has come down considerably after demonetisation. Quality also isn’t good so they can be easily detected. Mostly, we find that Bangladeshi territory is being used as a transit. This year, the seizure was 11 lakhs only.”
The Director General of BSF also stated that there hasn’t been any large-scale influx of Rohingya refugees in India although there have been attempts to move to India illegally from Bangladesh.
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He further stated, “Rohingyas who’re already in the country, are also under pressure at some places. So they’re going to West Bengal that is slightly friendly with them & has created camps for Rohingyas coming from within the country, not from Bangladesh.”
Demonetisation has come under severe criticism by the opposition parties. However, despite their allegations that it has spelt doom for the economy, the country has registered an 8.2% GDP growth rate in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. There is also evidence to suggest that demonetisation has also led to a sharp increase in the collection of Direct Tax by the government.
On the Rohingya issue, the government has always maintained that the Rohingyas have entered the country illegally and must be deported. In 2017, MoS Kiren Rijiju stated that Rohingyas are illegal immigrants and must be deported as per law. In June this year, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated the government’s stand on the issue and said that the Rohingyas have come from Myanmar and will have to return.