Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes has brought incidents of terror-funding and stone pelting in Jammu and Kashmir to zero.
"Earlier, there were rates - Rs 500 for stone pelting (on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir) and Rs 1,000 for doing something else. The PM has brought terror funding to zero. In the last few days after the PM's daring move, there hasn't been stone pelting on security forces," Parrikar said while speaking at an event organised by Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Atul Bhatkhalkar in Mumbai.
Parrikar also thanked and congratulated the Prime Minister for this "daring" move and said that this decision will also help bring down cases related to drugs and deter those who sponsor terrorism in India.
"Whether it's border security or economic security, PM Modi has taken daring decisions. Whatever is being done, our jawans on border are doing it. I and PM are just supporting it," the defence minister said. He added that the "problem of new notes circulation will be resolved to a large extent in the next four-five days."
Parrikar also said that no one will have the power to bribe voters in the next Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, referring to Shiv Sena without naming them. Shiv Sena, like all opposition political parties, has not supported the demonetisation of currency notes.
Parrikar was presented with a citation that praised his role in the surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on September 29. He was also thanked at the event for providing relief to citizens who were affected by the land development rules in the vicinity of central ordnance depots, NDTV reported.
"When I became Defence Minister, I did not think there will be things like this (dealing with the COD-land issue). I thought defence meant bang-bang on the border," Parrikar said.
"Altogether, 17.38 lakh acres of land in the country is under defence possession. Defence is the largest land owner in India. There was delay in resolving COD issue as there were concerns over security on one hand and people's concerns on the other," he added.
