Nitish launches frontal attack against Centre

Patna, Jan 24 (PTI) Mounting a frontal attack on theCongress-led UPA government, the Chief Minister Nitish Kumartoday asked the latter to make public the names of thosepeople who have stashed black money in the foreign banks.

"The public has a right to know those ''corrupt'' peoplewho have stashed black money in foreign banks," he said at afunction to mark the socialist leader and former Bihar ChiefMinister Karpoori Thakur''s birth anniversary here.

"Even the Supreme Court has questioned the Centre onits stubbornness against making public the names of the ownersof ill-gotten wealth abroad and under the circumtances, it isdifficult to understand as to what prevents the latter fromdoing so," Kumar asked.

The Chief Minister rapped Prime Minister ManmohanSingh for reportedly expressing his inability to releasethe names of those owning black money in foreign banks sayingthat the latter''s statement amounted to giving a boost to thecorrupt.

Expressing surprise at the quantum of publicmoney kept in foreign banks amounting to Rs. 22.50 lakh croresaccording to one estimate, Kumar said that the country couldbenefit immensely if the ill-gotten wealth was brought back.

The reported sum of black money may sustain thenational budget for two years and could be used for fundingthe implementation of the Right to Education act and othersocio-economic welfare and healthcare schemes for a long time,Kumar said.

Under the circumstances, the Centre should leave nostone unturned to bring back the black money from foreigncountries, the Chief Minister said and questioned the Centre''ssincerity to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion goingby its past records as well as its handling of recent scamslike 2G and Commonwealth Games.

''''It was a game with a game,'''' the Chief Ministerquipped about corruption in the Commonwealth Games.

Kumar, however, warned the Centre against takinglightly the public mood against corruption and reminded it ofthe massive agitations in 1975 (Emergency) and 1989 (Boforsscam) leading to defeat of the Congress governments on bothoccasions at the hustings.