Speculation on Congress leaders names on black money list
Pradip Burman, Promoter of FMCG Dabur. (PHoto: PTI/File)
New Delhi: Adhering to its election promise, the Modi government on Monday initiated the process of revealing the names of those who have stashed black money in Swiss banks.
The government filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court naming prominent businessperson Pradip Burman, belonging to the promoter family of the domestic FMCG Dabur Group, Goa-based miner Radha S. Timblo and Rajkot-based bullion trader Pankaj Chimanlal Lodhiya.
In the case of Timblo Pvt. Ltd, besides Ms Timblo, the Centre named other four directors, Chetan Timblo, Rohan Timblo, Anna Timblo and Mallika Timblo. The Burmans said the account in their case complied with all legal requirements. The others denied having accounts in Swiss banks.
Speculation is rife that some top former Congress ministers are being investigated and that their identities would be revealed shortly.
A minister in the previous Manmohan Singh Cabinet, Preneet Kaur, wife of Capt. Amarinder Singh, who defeated finance minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha elections, said she had received an Income-Tax Department notice in 2011 regarding the purported existence of a foreign bank account in her name. “I had replied (to the I-T notice) and denied any such allegations. I never had and do not have any bank accounts overseas,” she said.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley said the government will make public the names of only those people against whom there is a prosecutable case in connection with tax evasion through offshore accounts.
Meanwhile, Mr Ram Jethmalani, who took up the black money issue in the SC, accused the Modi government of “resiling, and even going back” on the stand taken by the UPA on black money disclosure. He was referring to information supplied by Germany on Indians’ accounts in Liechtenstein Bank.
Mr Jethmalani said that after the July 2011 SC verdict, the UPA had sought recall of the direction to form a SIT. It did not ask for modification, or clarification, on the Liechtenstein Bank accounts as is sought by the NDA.
In its affidavit in the Supreme Court, while promising to disclose more names of black money holders under its scanner, the Centre said all foreign bank accounts cannot be termed “illegal”.
“The fundamental right of citizens to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution cannot be ignored, and this has been recognised by this court,” it said.
The Centre requested the Supreme Court to clarify its earlier order directing it to reveal even the names of foreign bank account holders against whom no evidence was found, saying the government would have a problem entering into tax agreements with other countries.
Reacting to the Centre’s affidavit, Dabur said: “We wish to state that this account was opened when he (Pradip) was an NRI, and was legally allowed to open this account. We have followed all the laws and the complete details regarding the account have been voluntarily, and as per law, filed with the Income-Tax Department, and appropriate taxes paid, wherever applicable.”
Mr Lodhiya said he had no account in a Swiss bank. “I came to know about this from the media. I am shocked. I have declared all my wealth before the I-T department,” he said.
Ms Timblo said she needed to study the government’s affidavit before commenting on the issue.
Attacking the government, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the larger question was where are the 55,000 names, as promised by yoga guru Ramdev, and the tonnes of money projected by them. He dismissed the campaign of the BJP on the issue of black money as “much ado about nothing.”
Wondering whether they have been able to bring back even Rs 55 from the 55,000 names they claimed they had, he asked why the names had not been made public.
Replying to questions about the names of Congress leaders figuring in the list, Mr Singhvi said, “If there is a name, the individual concerned will answer, and it is not proper to take names from the podium of party office.”
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Modi government has started acting on its promise to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks and that Monday’s affidavit was the first step in that direction.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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