Black money trail may lead to Cong,its leaders: BJP

The main Opposition rubbished the measures announced by the government as completely evasive and delightfully vague.

With Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee ruling out disclosure of names of Indians who operate illegal bank accounts abroad,the BJP has hit out at the government saying the reluctance could be because those close to the Congress or its leaders may find their names in the list. The main Opposition rubbished the measures announced by the government as completely evasive and delightfully vague.

Reacting to the five-pronged strategy announced by Pranab to tackle the issue,the main Opposition on Tuesday said there is no commitment on the part of the government to bring back the money or disclose the names of those who operate such accounts. The approach of the government is completely lacking in vision.

Party chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad sought to know the compulsion that is stopping the government from revealing the names.

Prasad said the Prime Minister and the Congress had in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 promised to take steps to bring back black money within 100 days of assuming office.

Almost two years have passed and now they are talking about formation of study groups,finding out the quantum of illicit funds and so on and so forth, he said.

If this is the stand of the government even after two years,we can legitimately make an inference that the government is reluctant to show any meaningful effort to end the scourge. It is not willing to disclose the names. Who knows people close to the Congress may find their names there, he said.

Prasad said India could leverage its economic might to get details of account holders.

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Manmohan Singh,please be true to your words. The country wants meaningful actions not evasive replies, he said. The main Opposition said it expected some concrete steps from the government and said it would raise the issue in Parliament.

Prasad also referred to the case of Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali,who,he alleged,owes tax liabilities to the tune of Rs 76,000 crore. Why no action has been taken against him? Today also,Pranab Mukherjee said we are examining the matter. Our charge is that this evasive action against Hasan Ali is designed to shield him because of his connections at high places, he said.