Chennai: Political parties in Tamil Nadu welcomed the Centre’s move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, but criticised the government for causing difficulties to common man, and also pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to keep his promise of bringing black money back to India.

“Though demonetisation is a welcome move on the economic front, the common man is the real sufferer as big black money hoarders have stashed their money abroad,” said DMK chief M Karunanidhi in a statement on Tuesday.

He recalled the Janata Party government’s similar decision in 1978 to demonetise high value currencies. “Did that measure by Janata Party yield any result? This must be taken into consideration by the present government,” said Karunanidhi.

He said there was truth in the Congress allegation that Modi had taken this decision only to hide his poll promise of bringing back black money from abroad.

CPI state secretary R Mutharasan accused Modi of forgetting his promise of bringing black money back to India. “The government knows who has stashed black money in the form of cash, gold and silver. Instead of targeting them, the government is troubling the common man,” he said.

Former Union ministers GK Vasan of the TMC and Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK have welcomed demonetisation of currency notes, but also criticised the government for causing trouble to the general public.