Black money: Modi Govt's revelation of selective names a mere eyewash?

Delivering on its poll promise to name and shame those involved in stacking black money in foreign accounts, the Narendra Modi government on Monday revealed names of a total eight out of 700. The government and the BJP is going gaga by showing just a tip of the iceberg. But, one feels that instead of disclosing selective names in the black money case the government should have come up with the entire list.

Government exposes 3 businessmen

Following the Supreme Court's statement that the government can file affidavit revealing names of black money account holders, the Centre gave names of three business tycoons. The three names are -- Pradip Burman, Director of Dabur Group, Pankaj Chimanlal Lodhia, Rajkot based bullion trader and Radha S Timblo, a Goa based miner. The five others named in the affidavit are family members of the above mentioned people.

BJP leader questions government's move

No sooner than the government revealed the names of the these three in the apex court, BJP leaders started going gaga over it and started taking credit for delivering what they had promised in their election manifesto.

Even senior BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy has criticised NDA Government's move for disclosing selective names. He said that he does not know why the NDA Government is not disclosing all names in the black money case.

"There is no hindrance of law to disclosing entire list of account holders. Don't know why government is disclosing selective names," Subramanian Swamy was quoted as saying in reports. Swamy said that the Government should disclose the entire list.

This has also given the opposition Congress a chance to question the government's intentions on the same. It is asking what has kept the Centre away from revealing the entire list.

Why government has released just eight out of 700 names?

Swamy's as well as opposition's concern bring government's role under suspicion that why it exposed just three names, when it has a long list of people involved in stashing black money in foreign accounts. One question that is on every tongue is what is the government waiting for, to name and shame those responsible for slowing the country's growth rate.

The government has come up with a justification that it has not yet investigated about all the names. In such a scenario, a question arises why this hurry was shown on the part of government? The government could have taken all its time and investigated a few others, if not all mentioned in the list, instead of revealing just three names.

Only the last week, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hinted that several Congressmen are involved in black money cases and that the party will face massive humiliation, but the government has not come up with name of any Congressmen in its first list. Or for that matter not a single politician's name has also made it to the government's affidavit.

Is it an eyewash?

Government claims that it will name and shame people only after filing a chargesheet against them. Does that mean the government has already prepared a its chargesheet against these three? The government has a lot to answer. And by revealing this tip of this massive iceberg the government will have soon have to bring others' names into public as it has increased people's expectation, with today's move.

One lauds the government's good start but also hopes that it is not indulging into witch hunting. Also one fears that it is not just an eyewash to allay the growing anxiety of the civil society and those questioning the government's seriousness over bringing the black money worth hundreds of crores from foreign accounts.