Bringing back black money is a complex issue: BJP President Amit Shah

New Delhi: Under attack on the black money issue, BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday said government has taken a number of steps and disclosed 700 names to the SIT even though it is a ‘complex’ issue with international treaties coming in the way of acting against offenders.

He also attacked the opposition for stalling key legislations in Parliament but asserted that all their attempts to stop the country from the path of development would prove futile and they would be ‘mistaken’ in doing so.

"Bringing back black money is a very complex issue. It is not alone in the hands of India to bring back black money stashed abroad, as several international treaties are coming in the way.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created an atmosphere on the black money issue across the world and created a consensus among various nations to act on the menace. I assure you that once the international treaties are sorted out, BJP will succeed in giving appropriate punishment to offenders," Shah said addressing a public rally in Delhi.

He also said that soon after coming to power, the BJP-led government in its first Cabinet meeting constituted an SIT on black money and provided the names of 700 account holders to it, an act not done by the previous regime for the last many years.

Attacking the opposition for stalling Parliament and stopping key legislations, Shah said, "If opposition thinks it can stall the development agenda by disrupting Rajya Sabha, then they are mistaken."

He said BJP will not allow the opposition to stop the government from ushering in development and has brought in Ordinances, including those on Coal block allocations, Land Acquisition Bill, FDI in Insurance and Mining sector.

Shah also touted the government's achievement in passing a key law to regularise unauthorised colonies in the national capital, a promise fulfilled by the BJP made during the last assembly elections.

The BJP chief called upon the people of Delhi to ensure victory of the party by bringing in Narendra Modi's ‘Victory Chariot’ to Delhi, after the party achieved unprecedented victories in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls.

Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he charged that it has created a ‘record of telling lies’ and for ‘cheap marketing’ by presenting itself to be a party of common people.

Taking a jibe at Arvind Kejriwal, Shah said the AAP leader had even gone to Varanasi "hoping to become Prime Minister but the people there sent him back".

Asking people to vote for a BJP government, Shah said his party stands by the promises it makes.

Recalling that during the Lok Sabha election campaign, the party had made number of promises and had raised various issues, Shah said while some of the promises have been fulfilled, work on others has begun.

"We are working on the promises that were made to the people. Some of them have been implemented. In case of others, they are in the process of being carried out or a roadmap has been drawn for their implementation," he said.

Talking about inflation, he said while inflation stood at about 6-7 per cent under the previous government, seven months of BJP rule has brought it to "around zero per cent".

He said prices of petrol, which increased unabated during the UPA rule, have been reduced by Rs 10 during the seven months of the Modi government.

He said that since prices of essential commodities have come down during Modi rule, every household can now save between Rs 1,500-4,500 per month.

The BJP President underlined that his party has won all the four elections since the Lok Sabha polls.

"Nobody would have imagined the results in Jammu and Kashmir. We have got the highest tally ever," he said. Asserting that BJP government at the Centre has become "a symbol of hope", Shah said it will not stray from the path of development which was its agenda.