New Delhi: Demanding to make full disclosure of the nature of black money and names of the individuals who have stashed it in Swiss banks, the Congress on Friday asked the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring a white paper on how much of it has been brought back to the country in the last seven years.
Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said that the government should also come out with a complete list of measures that it has undertaken to check the stashing of black money in foreign banks.
The demand came after Switzerland's national bank –Swiss National Bank (SNB) –released data of funds parked in Swiss banks that showed that deposits by Indians increased to 286 per cent in 2020, the highest in the last 13 years.
Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his promise to bring back black money and shared a video of the PM before he assumed power.
"Money deposited in Swiss banks is now Rs 20,700 crore, which is 286 per cent increase between the year 2019-20 and it's the maximum increase money in Swiss banks in the last 13 years.
"Modiji please reply –What happened to the promise to bring back black money in three years? It's been seven years now. Is there no will power or money belongs to friends?" he asked on Twitter.
In a separate press conference, Vallabh said that the divide between the rich and the poor has widened in the country under the Modi government as this disclosure comes at a time when the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) says close to 97 per cent Indians became poorer during the last year and on the other hand, the data of funds in Swiss banks for 2020 shows another side.
"We demand that the Modi government bring a white paper providing details of how much black money has been brought back and from which country in the last seven years. It should also come out with a complete list of measures that it has undertaken to check the stashing of black money in foreign banks," he said.