New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) The Congress on Saturday charged the Modi government with shielding black money holders in foreign banks and assured that when it comes to power, it will resume its fight against black money from where it had left.
Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, referring to the governments’ argument that it wasn’t appropriate to assume that these deposits are all illicit money, said, 'this is one government that has tirelessly worked towards one goal: of protecting its suited, booted friends and ensuring help to convert black money into white. Before 2014, every discussion on Swiss bank accounts was considered black money.
Mr Modi, while campaigning for his party before 2014 polls, had committed to the people that he will get all the money stashed away in foreign bank accounts back to the nation and ensure everyone gets Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts. In a statement, Mr Modi had said that every child in the country knows that all the money deposited in the foreign bank accounts is black money. What changed from then to now? What has changed is the policy of the government which continues to protect people who hold accounts in foreign banks.”
In this context, she asked the Government as to what happened to the revelations made in the Panama papers.
Accusing Mr Modi of having misled people by promising to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks, she said, 'a CBDT circular categorcally states that as of now the Governemt has no list of black money holders in Swiss banks.
The circular says that the list of such account holders would not be received before September 2019. Even then, names of only those who have opened their account after January 2018 would be available. The Congress want to know as to whom the Government is trying to protect and why?'
Expressing confidence that the BJP would be thrown out of power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, she said, 'the Congress party in 2019 will resume its fight against black money from where it had left. We will continue to fight for the rights of the common man and ensure all the black money in foreign accounts are brought back.”
Accusing the BJP leaders of using Demonetisaon for indulging in 'money laundering', she cited in this regard the example of the alleged deposition of over Rs 700 crore of old currency notes in Gujarat cooperative banks during that period.
The government has come under flak following reports that Swiss banks have reported 50 per cent rise in Indian deposits in 2017 after declining for three successive years.
Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal, responding to the criticism, said it was not appropriate to jump to a conclusion that these deposits are illicit money.
They argued that under a treaty signed between the two nations, the Swiss government will share data on transactions from January 1, 2018, until December 31, 2018.
Mr Jaitley assured that Indians who have illegally parked unaccounted money in Swiss banks will face harsh penal proceedings under the black money law after Switzerland starts sharing details of accounts from next year.
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