The government’s flip-flops on demonetisation don’t seem to end, and nor does the anger at them on social media.
A day after the Reserve Bank of India announced that you only have one chance to deposit more than Rs 5,000 in older notes before December 30 – and only after providing explanations to bank officials – Indians took to Twitter and Facebook to express their ire.
It started with Yogendra Yadav, former Aam Aadmi Party leader and currently president of Swaraj India, tweeting an image of an “explanation” he gave to his bank for “making a small deposit”. The tweet included a handwritten letter, which reads: “I see no reason to offer any special explanation for the same [for making the deposit now]. I normally like and wait for the queues to end.”
This is the "explanation" I have given my bank for making a small deposit today. Pl retweet if you agree pic.twitter.com/v1JyhpADZ3
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) December 20, 2016
On Monday, the Finance Ministry had announced in a statement that a new decision had been taken regarding currency deposit in banks: “To reduce the queues in the banks, it has now been decided that amounts exceeding Rs 5,000 in old notes can be deposited only once between now and December 30, 2016.”
The ministry said that any deposit of over Rs 5,000 will be subject to questioning by two bank officials, who have to be given a “satisfactory explanation” for why the old notes were not deposited earlier.
This went against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance during his special televised address that people would be free to deposit all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes until December 30, with no limit.
Like Yadav, other irate citizens decided to cite the government’s word as the reason for waiting to make their deposits.

The Govt. is asking me why I didn't deposit cash all this while. pic.twitter.com/EiscuRXH0G
— Sunit Singh (@surdattack) December 20, 2016
As promised. Wish HDFC gave us more space to write more pic.twitter.com/yXD5Dd1PNV
— Raveesh Bhalla (@raveeshbhalla) December 20, 2016
Hope this does the trick #currencyban #india pic.twitter.com/SxgOpvoG5J
— Shashank Bengali (@SBengali) December 20, 2016
My reason for deposit #DeMonetisation pic.twitter.com/jaYoBI4qou
— Piyu (@PBnrg) December 20, 2016
Social media users also pointed out old notifications by the Reserve Bank of India, and government ads, to call out the government’s U-turn.
If Bank asks why you didn't deposit Old Notes before, say because u trusted FM and RBI. Let's see if they find it "satisfactory" explanation pic.twitter.com/CrI2lmWsVY
— Joy (@Joydas) December 19, 2016
Can I use this as the reason for why I didn't deposit my money earlier? Because my bank said so? #DeMonetisation pic.twitter.com/8HggAuPlWN
— thewisecrab (@thewisecrab) December 20, 2016
Jaldi Kaisi? Ad on back of a DTC bus on Mathura Road, clicked this morning en route to office. Please show to bank manager for explanation pic.twitter.com/nNnAvHgTn2
— Lesley Esteves (@LesleyEsteves) December 20, 2016
@HoeZaay @nixxin attach a colour printout of this. pic.twitter.com/uryCyn9LF4
— CK (@chandankr) December 20, 2016