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Advani promises to get cheese back from Swiss

The BJP declared that it would take steps to retrieve several crores of rupees hidden in Swiss banks if the NDA was voted to power.

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Raising the issue of Indian money stashed away in tax havens abroad, the BJP declared on Sunday that it would take steps to retrieve several lakh crores of rupees hidden in Swiss banks if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) were voted to power.

The BJP’s ally, the Janata Dal (United), and the Left parties have already demanded that Swiss banks be made to disclose details of accounts held by Indians.

On Sunday, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, LK Advani, asked prime minister Manmohan Singh to raise the issue at the G-20 summit in London on April 2 and ask for details of Indian wealth abroad. He said he had written to the prime minister in this connection last year when Germany had offered to provide details of accounts held by foreigners in its banks.

Questioning the “deafening silence” of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Advani said the issue would be a major poll plank for his party. He said the party would conduct public opinion polls on April 6, its foundation day, on the subject.

The chief ministers of BJP-ruled states will also write to the prime minister pressing him to seek disclosure of the names of hoarders of Indian monies abroad, since it was a huge loss to the state exchequer. Advani said he would write to the Election Commission to ask all candidates to submit an affidavit regarding any assets abroad.

He also announced the formation of a task force “to prepare a strategic document to recommend ways to get back the national wealth stashed away illegally by corrupt politicians, venal businessmen, and criminal overlords”.

“Of the total nearly Rs285 lakh crore in foreign banks, India’s share is between Rs25 lakh crore and Rs75 lakh crore,” Advani said. “We have estimated that if the whole amount ... is brought back, the debt of all farmers can be paid off. We may have world-class roads in the whole country... There will be facilities for potable water in 6,00,000 villages... This is just to show the advantage accrued to the country.”

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