BJP MLA from Ladpura in Rajasthan’s Kota district Bhawani Singh Rajawat has purportedly claimed that “Ambani and Adani” had prior knowledge of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, as shown in a video released online on Wednesday.

“Adani, Ambani atram-satram in sab ko pehle hi pata thha. Inko hint de diya gaya. Unhone apna kar liya (Adani, Ambani and others knew it beforehand. They had been given a hint and they made arrangements accordingly),” Rajawat purportedly said in the video.

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Rajawat told The Indian Express later in the evening that it was an “off-record” bit of conversation with “some journalists” and alleged that they are presenting “distorted comments”.

“I did not say any of those things being shown in the video,” he claimed.

About the quality of new currency notes, which have attracted criticism from some quarters, Rajawat allegedly said in the tape, “The new currency note is third class. It feels counterfeit.”

Critical of the sudden announcement by PM Narendra Modi and implementation that has seen long queues outside banks and ATM kiosks, the BJP MLA purportedly said, “Poori currency aap print karte. Desh ki abadi aur uske anupat mein currency print karte, uske baad mein aap ek saath.ab petrol pump ki keematon ki tarah aaj 12 baje 500 aur 1000 ka note band ho jayega. (First you should have printed the new currency as per requirement. But like announcements of change in petrol prices, you announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 are invalid from midnight).”

Denying the conversation, Rajawat told The Indian Express, “Some journalists… came to my Kota home today for a bite on demonetisation, as I had visited villages in my constituency on Tuesday. But unethically they recorded an off-record conversation.”

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