Government's 'Fair and Lovely' scheme aimed to benefit thieves': Rahul

New Delhi: Continuing his 'Fair & Lovely' rant, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government over the one-time compliance window scheme for the people with domestic black money, saying the same has been launched for 'thieves and black marketeers' to convert their black money into white.

Gandhi slammed the government over a clause in this scheme, which allows the people to keep the source of their income undisclosed.

"I posed three to four questions to the government few days back. The first question was about this Fair and Lovely scheme, which can be used by the black marketeers’ and thieves to convert their black money into white. I asked why they brought such a scheme. Whom do they want to benefit?" he told the media.

"The scheme says that even the source of income is not needed. Whether the money comes from drugs, terrorism or crime, this Fair and Lovely scheme will turn your black money into white," he added.

Countering the Opposition criticism over the compliance window to get black money from abroad, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had earlier on Wednesday said his government's new black or untaxed money scheme announced in the Budget is not an amnesty scheme as it has a penalty.

Under the four-month compliance window, announced by Jaitley, during the Union Budget, the people with domestic black money can come clean by paying 45 percent tax and penalty and get immunity from prosecution.

One can clear up past transgression by paying tax at 30 percent, a surcharge at 7.5 percent, a penalty at 7.5 percent, which is total of 45 percent of undisclosed income.