People's Democracy

Prime Ministerial Stuff?

IT is good that Mr Advani has now raised the issue of recovery of huge amounts of money lying in secret accounts of Indians in the Swiss banks.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M), in the light of the UBS, the largest Swiss bank, agreeing to provide information to the US government on account holders who are suspected to have evaded taxes, had demanded on February 23, 2009 that the UPA government procure similarly details of accounts of Indians in the Swiss banks and from banks in other tax havens in the world.

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau statement said: �In the case of India, it is not only a case of tax evasion but also of funds being illegally stashed abroad, or, used for money laundering. If the government is serious about stopping black money and raising resources to meet the growing economic crisis, it must take steps to bring back the unaccounted, or, ill-gotten wealth of Indians abroad.�

Obviously, Mr Advani has chosen to conceal the fact that the issue he is raising today has already been part of the public discourse for over a month since the CPI(M) raised it.

Or, is this the culture of `cultural nationalism' of the BJP?