Thaindian News

Patna, Oct 12 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Wednesday said he expected Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to act on black money stashed abroad, but the issue was not seriously pursued.

He said he first raised the issue of black money in 2009. “I wrote a letter to the prime minister then on this issue,” Advani said at a crowded press conference here on the second day of his cross-country Jan Chetna Yatra.

“I expected the prime minister to act seriously on black money and the issue was not seriously pursued.”

“Both (former finance minister) P. Chidambaram and (his successor) Pranab Mukherjee told me that something would be done, but nothing happened.”

Advani demanded that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government bring out a white paper on black money in the winter session of parliament.

“I demand that the central government bring out a white paper on black money in the winter session of parliament and make the names of people having black money public,” Advani said.

Advani said the UPA government should also inform the country what steps have been taken till date to bring back black money stashed in banks abroad.

“I have been told that the government has the names of some Indians having black money in foreign banks, it is time the government made their names public,” Advani said.

“If the government hesitates in making their names people public, it will send the message that it wants to protect them,” Advani said.

He recalled that after he raised the black money issue, he was ridiculed by some Congress spokespersons who asked what the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had done about it.

“During NDA rule, foreign banks were adamant not to talk about black money. But the fact is that the scenario has changed only after the signing of the UN convention against corruption following financial problems in America,” Advani said.

Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra to campaign against corruption was flagged off by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday.