PATNA: The JD(U) has got one more election issue. A whopping $1,456 billion (Rs 72,80,000 crore) deposited by the Indians in Swiss banks over the years will be highlighted by the party which has urged PM Manmohan Singh to press the Swiss government to prevail on the bankers to reveal the details of the accounts.
JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said here on Sunday that steps should immediately be taken to bring back the money and prosecute those Indians who have their accounts in the Swiss banks. Asked whether the black money of fodder scam has also been deposited there, Yadav said, "Let the names be revealed and everything will become clear."
The money, he said, amounted to 13 times of country's foreign debt. "If we bring the money back, all foreign debts can be repaid and we still can have huge amount of foreign exchange reserves," he said.
Stating that his party will make it an election issue, Yadav also asked other parties to join in demanding the return of the money and prosecution of those who have deposited the money. He said the parties should make their stand public on this issue of national importance.
The Swiss banks made the revelation under the pressure of US and they have also offered to disclose the names of the depositors of any country provided the government of the country concerned asks for the same officially. Yadav said, "It is unfortunate that our government has not asked the Swiss banks to reveal the names of Indians who have deposited their money in these banks. Inaction on the part of the UPA government gives suspicion that it is not interested in bringing back such huge amount of black money," Yadav alleged.
The Swiss bank revelation has not only confirmed the suspicion that huge amount of black money from India is deposited there, but also gave some information. According to the report, India leads the list of the countries whose citizens have deposited their money there. The other countries in the list of five countries include Russia ($470 billion), UK ($300 billion), Ukraine ($100 billion) and China ($96 billion).
Yadav said, "The people should be vigilant about the plunder of Indian wealth and it being deposited in the Swiss banks and other financial institutions. When lakhs of Indians are losing their jobs because of the economic slowdown, the bringing back of the money will prove to be the solution to their miseries. They should stand up and force an unwilling government to act swiftly."
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