CPI for confiscation of ''illegal'' foreign accounts of Indians

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) With Wikileaks site planningto publish names of organisations and individuals who havekept their "illegal monies" in banks abroad, the CPI todaydemanded that such accounts of Indians be confiscated and thefunds used for public good.

"All these accounts should be confiscated and used forthe common good of the nation. CPI demands that the governmentshould take up the issue with the Swiss Banks Association andSwiss government immediately and settle it," a statement bythe party''s Central Secretariat said here.

Opposing the BJP''s proposal to legalise these amountsby collecting penalties and imposing taxes, the CPI said theSupreme Court directive to the government to reply why thenames of depositors were not being declared "is yet to bereplied to".

The Left party asked the people to agitate andpressurise the government to announce the list of depositorsand confiscate the amount.

Maintaining that its MPs had raised this issue inParliament in 2009, it demanded that an estimated Rs 72,000lakh crore worth of alleged deposits of Indians kept in theSwiss banks should be confiscated.

"There is no action yet from government. In the recentdays, the amount of money is alleged to be Rs 280 lakh crore(kept as) deposits from Indians. Though Swiss banksassociation claimed that it is an exaggeration, they haverefused to divulge the real amount," the statement said.

Taking note of the Wikileaks decision to release thelist of such deposit holders including depositors from the US,Europe and Asia, it said it "may be a partial list".

"The black money, unaccounted money, is much more thanthe economy of the country. This needs to be brought out. Itis said that every year more than 34,000 people from India arevisiting Switzerland and some of them more than two to fourtimes. Why the government does not enquire into these details?Whom do they want to defend," the party asked.