Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Signalling his intention to raise the issue of black money aggressively during his Jan Chetna Yatra, (public awareness campaign) BJP leader L.K. Advani Monday accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of suppressing details of those having accounts in Swiss banks “to save embarrasment” to a few people.

“The names of those holding accounts in tax havens abroad and Swiss banks should be publicly disclosed. I have reason to believe that recently disclosures have been made to the government with regard to accounts held by Indians in one of the leading Swiss banks,” Advani said.

Advani, whose yatra begins Tuesday, alleged that facts have been held back even from the Enforcement Directorate, and that the Income Tax department has been asked to quietly deal with the issue to bury it.

“I understand that the Income Tax department has been asked to quietly deal with this issue and put a lid on the whole matter. The facts have been held back even from the Enforcement Directorate,” Advani said.

“I demand to know whether it is factually correct that the details of the accounts held in one of the Swiss banks have already been provided to the government of India because of the disclosures made by a whistle blower and the names are not being made public to save embarrassment on account of a few selected individuals,” Advani said.

He said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had made efforts to get the black money back from Switzerland but the country had informed at the time that it had laws on banking secrecy, which could not be interfered with.

Advani said the Swiss government relaxed its norms after the US and European governments exerted pressure following economic downturn and effort was made at the level of the United Nations.