New Delhi: The government on Thursday insisted in Lok Sabha that it had never claimed that all the black money stashed abroad would be brought back within 100 days even as opposition continued to target it over the issue.
Contesting the opposition charge in this regard, parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu cited BJP's Lok Sabha election manifesto, which said a task force, would be set up to deal with the problem of black money.
"We are not so immature to say we will bring back entire black money in 100 days," Naidu said while intervening in a debate on black money.
His comment came in response to attack by opposition which said BJP leaders had promised to bring back black money within 100 days of coming to power and questioned why it did not happen as six months had elapsed.
Naidu said the BJP election manifesto stated that if voted to power, the government will minimize the scope for corruption and set up a task force for tracking down or bringing back black money. "The process of bringing back black money will be put in motion," he said.
Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu cited BJP's Lok Sabha election manifesto which said a task force would be set up to deal with the problem of black money.
Listing out the measures taken by the BJP government to deal with the black money menace, Naidu said whenever 100 days is said, it means "action will be initiated within 100 days".
He claimed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had first talked about 100 days with respect to unearthing of black money when he made a statement in Parliament in July 2009.
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said people had trusted the BJP's election campaign of bringing back the money stashed abroad and hence the government should give an assurance in the House when the money would be brought back.
"Youth of the country thought they will get Rs 15 lakh. You sold lies to people. The government has to inform Parliament when they will bring the money back," Yadav said.
Congress MP Veerappa Moily said BJP should take a step forward in bringing back black money as in all these months they have moved 100 steps backwards.
"It was our government that gave the names of people having account in the HSBC banks in a sealed envelope to SIT. During the G20 summit, Modi was the first to raise the issue of black money on a global platform," Thakur said.
"You did not do anything in last 5-10 years. When you were in power, you were not committed to bring back black money and when you are not in power, you are still not committed to bring back the black money," the BJP MP said.
He also attacked Trinamool Congress — one of the opposition parties leading the attack on the government on the black money issue — over the Saradha chit fund scam and said before discussing the black money abroad, one should first talk about what is happening within the country.
"Those who earned black money are sitting with black umbrellas in the House," he said, attacking TMC on the issue.
TMC leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay said the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for misleading people by promising that black money stashed abroad would be brought back in 100 days of coming to power.
The government has completed about 180 days but has even one dollar of black money been brought back, he wondered. He asserted that Trinamool Congress would support efforts of the government to bring back black money.
Before getting elected, Modi had assured people that he would bring back black money stashed abroad and put about Rs 15-20 lakh in the pockets of common people, he said. The government should put the names of all black money holders on the internet, Bandhopadhyay said.
Bandhopadhyay described Modi as a "NRI Prime Minister" as the Prime Minister has been travelling abroad frequently.
Responding to criticism regarding Saradha scam, the TMC leader said his party was ready for discussion on the issue and stressed that Mamata Banerjee's credibility and honesty should not be questioned.
Venkatesh Babu (AIADMK) said steps should be taken to curb round tripping activities, whereby illicit money comes back into the system.
To curb flow of black money, he demanded that issuance of participatory notes in the stock makret should be stopped besides making money laundering a criminal offence.
Noting that government was citing fictitious premises in not disclosing names of black money holders, he wondered whether it would bring back illicit funds stashed abroad.
Veerappa Moily (Congress) said BJP should take a step forward in bringing back black money as in all these months they have moved 100 steps backwards.
"The Prime Minister owes an apology to Parliament that he failed to bring back black money within 100 days," he said.
It is an issue that concerns the nation and its resources and money stashed abroad could be routed to fund terrorism.
