Congress demanded PM Narendra Modi apologise to the people for his comment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took an indirect dig at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for his gesture of standing in queue last week to exchange the banned currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes for new ones.
At a function, without naming Mr Gandhi, the Prime Minister said, "On the night of November 8, at 8 o'clock, did you see (what happened)? In 2012, 2013, 2014, newspapers were filled with news about lots of money being eaten up in scams such as coal and 2G. But, after November 8, their position was such that they had to stand in a line for Rs 4,000".
Two days after the government's decision to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes - announced by PM Modi on Tuesday - Mr Gandhi had made an appearance at a State Bank of India branch in Delhi to exchange the old notes.
There, he had hit out at PM Modi, saying he would not understand the problems people were facing due to the Centre's move to scrap high-denomination currency notes.
"People are facing hardships. That is why I have come to join them. I am here to exchange my Rs 4,000 for new notes," the Congress vice-president had said as he waited for his turn in the queue.
The Prime Minister's comment's triggered a political storm with the Congress demanding that he apologise to the people.
Senior party leader Anand Sharma said, "He has insulted the people who have been hurt. Wage earners, farmers, weavers, construction workers ...they are all standing in queues... The PM has said all these millions of Indians are scamsters... Are they black money hoarders?"
Delhi Chief Minister and PM Modi's arch-rival Arvind Kejriwal said he was "saddened by PM's statement that those standing in queues are people with black money". He should go see the people who are standing in queue. PM Modi should apologise to them."
Mayawati, the chief of Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh, which is going to polls early next year, said PM Modi should stop the "emotional blackmailing" the people who were facing hardship due to the government's decision.
"It is good that Modiji has left his family and village for the country but that does not mean that he would take immature decisions which are against the public interest and stick to them. He should stop emotionally blackmailing the people who are facing hardships due to the move," she said in a statement.