Hitting out at the Centre over demonetisation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that telling the people that they cannot have access to the money in their accounts was "nanny-ism carried to an extreme."


The former Union minister, who was speaking at an event here last evening, also criticised the BJP-led government over the way GST was rolled out, although, he said, the concept of one nation one tax was "a great idea."


"Demonetisation was an exercise in telling people what notes they could hold... The government telling us that you cannot have access to your own money in your account was nanny-ism carried to an extreme," Tharoor said.


He was participating in a debate on 'We are living in a nanny state', chaired by Vir Sanghvi, at the eighth edition of 'Tata Literature Live'. Tharoor was speaking for the motion along with JNU professor Makarand Paranjape, while senior journalist Chandan Mitra and industrialist Sunil Alagh were against the motion.


"Intention of GST was a wonderful thing. Having one nation one tax is a great idea but in practise what this government has done, it has created something for the state, the bureaucrats and not to help the people.


"Instead of one nation one tax, we have been given three taxes, six slabs underneath and 37 forms a year to be filed... There is a nanny state sitting over you," Tharoor said.


He also criticised the beef ban, saying it has destroyed livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone. "The beef ban in its conception and intention is indeed nanny state behaviour. The government is trying to determine what people put in their mouths, even in their homes... This nanny state has destroyed the livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone," the former Union minister said.
-- PTI