NEW DELHI:  P Chidambaram, a senior member of the Congress and a former finance minister, said on Monday that the Supreme Court's minority dissenting decision on demonetisation is a welcome slap on the government's wrist and will be remembered in history.

"We must accept the law after it has been declared by the Honorable Supreme Court.  However, it is necessary to point out that the majority has not upheld the wisdom of the decision; neither has the majority concluded that the said objectives were achieved. He said the Congress is glad that the minority judgment has pointed out the illegality and the irregularities in the demonetisation. 

“It may be only a slap on the wrist of the government, but a welcome slap on the wrist. The dissenting judgment will rank among the famous dissents EVER recorded in the history of the Honourable Supreme Court,” Chidambaram said.

The Supreme Court today upheld the decision of the Central government taken in 2016 to demonetise the currency notes of Rs 500 & Rs 1000 denominations. A 5-judge Constitution bench dismissed a batch of petitions challenging the Central govt's 2016 decision to demonetise Rs500 and Rs1000 currency notes and said the decision, being the Executive's economic policy, cannot be reversed.

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