NEW DELHI: In sharp contrast to what BJP leaders promised in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says the government need not take hasty decisions or else, the black money account holders will have the last laugh.
Jaitley told the Parliament on Thursday that there was no need to show “bravado and adventurism” on the issue of black money before members of the Congress and TMC staged a walkout.
If the government makes a hasty decision and falters, it will not get any evidence while the “account holders will have the last laugh”, Jaitley argued even as he repeated his party and government are committed to bring back the black money stashed abroad.
Responding to demands from opposition leaders including SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, CPM’s Mohammad Salim and NCP’s Tariq Anwar to expedite the process, Jaitley added that those seeking immediate disclosure of the names of account holders in foreign banks must remember that revealing the names would end up in helping the account holders and they would get alerted.
Jaitley did not stop there. He claimed his government had never promised to get back the black money in 100 days.
Leaders from rival parties strongly condemned the Finance Minister’s remarks, reminding him of reported poll promises of prime minister Narendra Modi of getting Rs 15 lakh to the bank accounts of all citizens once black money is brought back.
