“It has become traumatic for people to go and stand in queues to get their own money…this could be money which is properly taxed and is in their own bank accounts. Common man should not be made to suffer. We all know these queues are very long and people keep turning up hours after hours, days after days to be able to withdraw their own money,” the bench, also comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud, told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.
The court, however, did not find it apt to stay the notification, and clarified that it was not interfering with the economic policy, for now.
But, at the same time, it underlined that a large number of daily wagers, carpenters, vegetable sellers and others engaged in menial jobs, who earn their bread and butter on a daily basis, were badly affected by the government’s move.
“Your objective may be laudable but you cannot accuse everyone who has a Rs 500 note to be hoarding black money,” the top court told the AG. It said that the situation was more like “carpet bombing” and not a “surgical strike” since “everyone is affected”.
