BJP demands White Paper on blackmoney

Accusing UPA government of being "selective and evasive" on corruption, BJP on Monday demanded a White Paper on blackmoney detailing the Centre`s action plan.

Bhubaneswar: Accusing UPA government of being "selective and evasive" on corruption, BJP on Monday demanded a White Paper on blackmoney detailing the Centre`s action plan for asset recovery from abroad and a special
session of Parliament to discuss the issue.

"BJP wants Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to share the details of his government`s action plan for asset recovery from foreign countries through a White Paper on black money," senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh told reporters here.

If the government is serious in its intent and commitment it should convene a special session of Parliament soon after the Monsoon session to discuss and formulate a national policy against blackmoney and corruption which would
serve as a guideline, the former Union minister said.

Maintaining that yoga Guru Ramdev and social activist Anna Hazare have raised legitimate issues on corruption, the former BJP president said Congress-led UPA government` stance on black money seems to be selective and evasive.

On one hand the government seems to be hesitant in taking concrete action on blackmoney as it could embarrass the Congress, on the other hand it cracks down on followers of social activists like Ramdev who were peacefully demanding retrieval of black money, he said.

To a query, Singh claimed he was confident that no BJP leader has black money in foreign banks.

Describing corruption as a "systemic risk" to the country, he said without a firm will and an extensive action plan to bring back blackmoney the various committees formed by the government would be rendered meaningless.

Happy that Ramdev has ended his hunger strike, the BJP stalwart said his party would back the yoga Guru who should reach out to people to spread his message against corruption.

"Here is an unprecedented outrage and revulsion against the clandestine manner in which UPA government is dealing with issues of corruption and blackmoney", he said.

On allegations of unaccounted money against Ramdev, he said if the government suspects such a thing, it has the authority to probe the charge.

Singh clarified that overwhelming response to anti-corruption agitations by Anna Hazare and Ramdev was not due to failure of national opposition political parties in
raising the issue. "BJP has been raising the issue in all for a including Parliament," he said.

PTI

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