JD-U asks SC to get names of Swiss bank accountees disclosed

New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) Expresseing concern over theCentre''s alleged unwillingness to disclose the names ofIndians among Swiss bank accountees, JD-U today sought theSupreme Court''s intervention to ensure that the names are madepublic, asking it not to leave its initiative midway.

"It is a matter of great concern that the Centre is notwilling to come up with the names of people, who have amassedtheir ill-gotten wealth in foreign banks....If government doesnot do it, we appeal to the Supreme Court (to act on thematter). When they (the SC) have initiated the matter (ofblack money), they should not leave it midway," party chiefSharad Yadav told reporters here.

Yadav''s comments came a day before Finance MinisterPranab Mukherjee is to announce the measures UPA governmentintends to take to bring back the unaccounted money to thecountry and tighten the regulatory and tax framework toprevent further illegal outflows.

The Supreme Court had pulled up the government forwithholding information on black money stashed in foreignbanks, saying it is not just limited to tax evasion but a"mind boggling crime" amounting to "theft" and "plunder" ofnational wealth having security ramifications.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said there was "noinstant solution" to bring back black money salted away inforeign banks and that information with the government cannotbe made public due to treaty obligations.

Meanwhile, referring to the Prime Minister''s statementYadav said, "Bringing back money or recovery of the fullamount can be decided in due course, but the government shouldat least publish the names of such people, who have theirforeign accounts stacked with the loot money."

He further said, "The government has got some informationwith it about some such account holders. The nation wants toknow who are these anti-national people...this government isaccountable to give their details, because it is accountableto the people who have elected it."

Yadav also attacked the Centre on the issue ofconstitution of JPC to look into the 2G Spectrum allocation.

"The refusal of the government to institute JPC to probethe corruption cases of 2G, CWG and Adarsh Society hasresulted in paralysing of Parliament session. Not only theopposition but even non-Congress allies of UPA are not againstthe JPC. Congress has only 206 MPs in Lok Sabha and thus amassive majority of 335 members of the House are for JPC,"Yadav said. .

Rejecting the government''s propsoal for a discussion on corruption in Parliament, Yadav said, "What is needed is not adiscussion but an impartial inquiry and that is possible onlythrough JPC, because the CBI has lost its credibility.

Ineffective raids are going on and people are getting out onbail."

The JD-U leader also trained his guns on the Centre onthe issue of price rise alleging that "the policies pursued bythe government during last six years are responsible for it."

Taking a dig at Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar withoutnaming him, Yadav said, "A central minister says thegovernment does not grow vegetables. Hence, it cannot be heldresponsible for high vegetable prices, but the government mustknow that if it allows SEZs, industries, commercial complexesand residential complexes to be set up in fields, wherevegetables are grown, it is reducing the amount of vegetablesgrown, thus causing their prices to rise." PTI AMR