BJP becomes the butt of jokes after Kerala youth leader gets caught printing fake notes

It did not help the BJP’s case that the youth leader was also a campaigner against black money.

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Nothing easier could have been handed over to the online junta of Kerala to make jokes and memes on than this. A BJP youth leader, who featured in campaign posters against black money, has been arrested by the police for running a counterfeit currency racket. Jokes, memes and posters are doing the rounds online with the BJP at the butt of the jokes.

The Kerala police on Thursday arrested a worker of the BJP’s youth wing, Yuva Morcha for running the fake currency scam. The police seized Rs. 1.5 lakhs in fake currency and a printing machine from Srinarayanapuram in Thrissur. Erasheri Rakesh, a panchayat committee member of the Yuva Morcha, and his brother Rajeev have both been expelled from the party.

While Rakesh has been arrested, his brother Rajeev is reported to be absconding.

Here is Rakesh in an anti-black money campaign poster.

Image: Indiatimes

Following a tip off, the police detected fake currency worth Rs 1.5 lakh in the first floor of Erasheri Rajesh’s house near Anjamparathi at Srinarayanapuram and printers in a separate room, which was especially equipped for the racket. Ink and other materials were also found and confiscated.

The notes were in denominations of Rs. 2000, Rs. 500, Rs. 50 and Rs. 20, the police said. The currency was designed on a computer and printed on A4 bonded paper and then cut to size.

Police said that Erasheri Rajesh had been using the fake notes at petrol bunks and bars, and that they had put him under surveillance after being tipped off. When transactions were made in bulk, it was difficult to figure out that the notes were fake, the police said.

Media reports state that they could also be involved money laundering operations.

A Nagesh, the Thrissur district president of the BJP, told TNIE that both the brothers had embarrassed the party and that they have been expelled on orders from the state party chief Kummanam Rajasekharan.

This has, as expected, got Kerala's online comedy army working overnight to produce funny memes.

Man in saffron says 'Money? Not an issue for me'. Meme by Abhijith Karunagappally on ICU.

Sanghi says, "When there was a shortage of notes in the country, my leader printed a few. Ask why? Love for the nation. That's why." Meme by Achu Ajoy on Troll Malayalam.

Sanghi says that shortage in currency notes don't affect him, he just prints them at home without going to any scoundrel banks. Meme by Nisha Kurian Susan in Troll Malayalam.