Cong not clear on the issue of black money: BJP

Kolkata, Feb 1 (PTI) The BJP today demanded that the UPAgovernment reveal the names of those Indians who haveaccumulated ill-gotten cash in foreign banks and claimed thatit was not "at all serious" about recovering black money.

Describing the statement of Union Finance Minister PranabMukherjee on the issue of black money as "vague", BJP''snational spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters that,"Mukherjee has not said anything new. Congress is not clear onthe issue of black money."

Asking the government to explain how it planned to bringback black money, Hussain said, "Is the Congress afraid ofdisclosing the names of those Indian who have accumulatedmoney in foreign banks?"

"Why is the Congress government not willing to reveal thenames of those people who are having foreign bank accounts?What are they afraid of? They are only doing lip service. Theyare not at all serious about the recovery of the black moneystashed in these accounts," Hussain continued.

Regarding India''s approach towards China, the BJP leadersaid without elaborating, "We support the government in thematter of foreign policy. But we think that we should talktough and China should be told in a more firm way".

The BJP leader accused the Left parties of softeningtheir stand on the issue of demand for JPC on the 2G spectrumallocation.

"We remain firm on JPC because we want proper enquiry.

But the Left should not soften its stand. It should continueto demand JPC in the interest of the people. This is thenature of the Communists. They will first shout on an issueand when time comes they will run away," he said.

To a question, he said after the Bihar poll success, theBJP President''s next mission is West Bengal where the partywas confident of registering a good performance.

"So far we have decided to contest the coming Assemblypolls in West Bengal on our own strength," he said when askedwhether BJP will have any post-poll equation with TrinamoolCongress.

Hussain also condemned the police lathicharge onjournalists in West Midnapore district yesterday.

"It is a matter of shame that journalists who have gonethere to discharge their professional duties have beenbrutally lathicharged by the police in Bengal. It is an attackon democracy as the media is one of it''s pillars," he said.