The Bharatiya Janata Party has claimed that the 'Rs 70 lakh crore' black money stashed in foreign banks is a bigger scandal than the 2G spectrum scam and asked the Centre to take steps to bring back the amount.
"The money stashed in foreign banks and tax havens by India's dishonest people should be brought back to the country. This scandal is 200 times bigger than the 2G scam," said BJP vice-president Shanta Kumar.
He regretted that despite being a signatory to United Nations Convention against Corruption for five years, "India has so far not ratified it".
"While 126 countries have ratified this, India is among the 14 nations which are yet to do so. I raised this issue in the Rajya Sabha recently and sought to know from the prime minister about what steps were being taken to bring back the black money, but got no satisfactory reply," he said.
Kumar said recently he was part of a parliamentary delegation to the United Nations where a representative of Switzerland "admitted on the floor of the House that the money deposited in the banks of his country is a stolen property... he also said that the initiative (to bring back black money) lies with the political will of the country concerned".
The BJP vice-president said he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in October, saying "Switzerland would offer help if we show seriousness in bringing back the black money, but so far I have got no reply from him".
"On two earlier occasions also, I have written to the prime minister on this issue, but have not received any reply, but only got acknowledgements of my letters," he claimed.
On the demand for a JPC probe into the 2G scam, he said, "Before the budget session of Parliament, we are going to hold rallies and make people more aware of this issue. We hope the government will accept the demand for a JPC."
On the Congress turning the table on the BJP by demanding sacking of party general secretary Ananth Kumar for his alleged links with corporate lobbyist Nira Radia, Kumar said, "Then it calls for all the more reason and justification why the government should have a JPC probe. We are saying let things become clear."
Kumar also questioned the government on price rise, alleging that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government is not serious on tackling the issue, which is also a result of corruption.
"The prime minister is asking Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar how the prices of onion have gone up. The fact is that this problem is also related to growing corruption as some people have been benefited," he said.
He said during the National Democratic Alliance regime, there was daily monitoring of prices of essential commodities and steps were taken 'much in advance' when there was the slightest hint that prices could go up.
