NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit back Friday at the mounting criticism of his decision to withdraw all high-denomination bank notes from circulation, describing the move as "for the larger social good".

The November 8 move to ban the 500 and 1,000 rupees ($7.30, $14.60) notes —some 85 percent of all bills in circulation—as legal tender has sparked turmoil in the vast cash-reliant nation.

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