Note-ban broke backbone of anti-national activities' financing: Naqvi

The government's measure announced on November 8, 2016, has also increased the tax base, he said.

Taking on the opposition for calling demonetisation a "dark day", Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Thursday said it marks a day when the backbone anti-national activities such as terror funding and accumulating black money were broken.

On the second anniversary of note ban, Naqvi said post-demonetisation an attempt was made to vitiate the atmosphere.

The government's measure announced on November 8, 2016, has also increased the tax base, he said.

Naqvi asserted that it was being claimed that the GDP will fall, but it is now about seven per cent.

"It is not a dark day, but the marked day when terror funding was stopped and the backbone of black money and anti-national (activities) financing was broken," the minority affairs minister said

It is a dark day for those who used to rob the country, he said.

The government on November 8, 2016, announced a ban on old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and later issued new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 banknotes.

"The economy has been made strong. Terror funding used to be through fake currency, hawala, all this has been brought under control," he said.

Some people are trying to convert the positive atmosphere prevailing in the country to negative, Naqvi alleged.