Belagavi (The Hindu): Calling the demonetisation of currency in the denomination of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 a surgical strike on the common man, the former Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily has said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has given a big blow to economy and business has come to a standstill in the country.

Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a training session organised by the Karnataka Media Academy for journalists on covering the Assembly session, here on Saturday, he said that it was doubtful whether the exercise would reduce black money.

“The BJP had actually promised to bring back the black money stashed in foreign banks. Instead, it has banned currency in the denomination of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000. Does the NDA government now believe that the people who are carrying currency in these denomination and waiting in long queues to get that changed have ill-gotten and black money,” he asked.

About the Uniform Civil Code, Mr. Moily said the NDA government was raising the issue in view of the of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He asserted that in a pluralistic country like India, it was not possible to bring in a Uniform Civil Code.

“When the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, how can the government bring in a law which goes against the aspirations of the Constitution,” Mr. Moily said.

On the delaying in appointing judges, he said that the NDA government was trying to destabilise the judicial system.

Mr. Moily said that in the absence of judges, pending cases were piling up in courts.