“Will Be Difficult For Those Who Hoard Money, People Are Happy”: Vijay Antony on ₹2000 Note Withdrawal

Actor and music director Vijay Antony welcomed the gradual withdrawal of ₹2000 denomination notes saying that it will only bother those who hoard money and not the common public.

On 19 May 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to withdraw the ₹2000 denomination notes from circulation.

The move came amidst a steep fall in the circulation of 2000 notes.

As per RBI Data,  total value of ₹2000 note in circulation has declined from ₹6.73 Lakh Crore on March 31, 2018 to ₹3.62 Lakh Crore as of March 31, 2023.

The declined is steep from 37.3% to 10.8% of total notes in circulation, which has warranted the move.

₹2000 notes can now exchanged into banknotes of other denominations up to a limit of ₹20,000 at a time at any bank with effect from May 23, 2023 until September 30, 2023.

Though it continues to be a legal tender, banks will not be issuing ₹2000 notes during withdrawals.

In light of this, Vijay Antony has welcomed the move.

‘Pichaikkaran 2’, directed by Vijay Antony, was released in theatres yesterday (20 May 2023). Vijay Antony has acted, directed, composed the music and produced the film himself. The film stars Kavya Thapar as the female lead. Radha Ravi, Yogi Babu, YG Mahendran, Mansoor Ali Khan and John Vijay are also part of the cast.

Vijay Antony had come to Rakki Cinemas in Ambattur to witness the audience reaction for his latest movie. He met the people to thank them for the response and later addressed reporters,

When asked about the RBI’s decision to withdraw ₹2,000 notes, he replied, “Only those who hoard money will be in trouble and are worried. The public is happy”.

It is worth noting that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin had criticized the move saying it was a ‘trick; to deflect from the BJP’s debacle in Karnataka.

Pichaikkaran 1 And Demonetization

Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetization of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes on 8 November 2016, a scene in the first part of Pichaikkaran had a reference to the same.

The thought-provoking scene shows a beggar proposing a catchy idea to a radio jockey to solve the issue of black money. He says that the root cause of poverty and lack of development in India is bribery and corruption, and if it is abolished, he will say that there will be no beggars in the country. He points out that if the ₹500 and ₹1000 notes are abolished then the corrupt who take bribes have to take them in packs of ₹50 and ₹100 which will take a lot of space. He says that they will have no option but to deposit in bank and pay tax as investing in gold or real estate will have their own risks.

Just 8 months after the release of Pichaikkaran 1 movie, came demonetization. And now Pichaikkaran 2 has hit the screens amidst withdrawal of ₹2000 notes.

Too much of a coincidence!

(With inputs from News7Tamil)

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