Black money names selectively disclosed, claim Congress, AAP

New Delhi: Government's disclosure of more names of those allegedly holding illegal money abroad on Monday evoked mixed reactions with the BJP calling it only as a "beginning" of more to come while the Congress asked the government not to indulge in "political titillation".

Even as a debate raged over the blackmoney issue, some television channels reported four undisclosed names connected with the Congress party as being under the scanner.

Former Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, whose name was doing the rounds, went on recored to say that she held no foreign accounts. "I had replied (to the IT notice) and denied any such allegations.  I never had and do not have any bank accounts overseas," she said in her reaction.

Read: Black money list: Centre names Dabur’s Pradip Burman, 2 others in affidavit to Supreme Court

Former union minister Salman Khurshid of the Congress said, "Whatever names they have given, if they feel it's right then let them go ahead. We have no issues about the government releasing names. But selective naming should not be done."

Meanwhile, AAP chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted that Radha Timblo, named by the government in the Supreme Court as one among those against whom prosecution has been launched in the black money case, had donated Rs 1.1 crore to BJP and Rs 65 lakh to Congress.

Slamming the government, Kejriwal wondered why it revealed only three names in the Supreme Court in connection with black money in foreign accounts when it had the full list. 

"We want the government to say whether all the names that we disclosed ear;ier are in the list or not. The list of all foreign account holders should be revealed and there should be uniform action against the guilty, " Kejriwal said.

Read: Government to name only those having prosecutable case: Arun Jaitley on black money

The AAP leader also produced purported statements of three persons admitting to having money stashed abroad during investigations by the IT department.

"As per our information, action is being taken against those on the list selectively. Whereas stringent actions like tax raids and prosecution are being taken against some, the powerful ones are being let off," he alleged.

BJP spokesperson  Sambit Patra said the Modi government has started acting on its promise to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks and today's affidavit is the first step in that direction.

But the Congress attacked the government asking it to refrain from "political titillation, press sensationalisation and playing games" on the issue to target its opponents.

Read: Black money: Ram Jethmalani accuses Modi government of going back on claims of disclosing information

Advocating that there was a need to look at the issue with broader perspective, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said "Congress' stand is clear and remains unchanged. It is not an occasion for press sensationalisation and political titillation.

Replying to questions about names of Congress leaders figuring in the list, Singhvi said "if there is a name, the individual concerned will answer it and it is not proper to take names from the podium of party office".