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Cong levelling allegation on blackmoney the 'biggest joke':BJP

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Apr 18 2014 | 7:32 PM IST
BJP today hit back at Congress for targeting Narendra Modi government in Gujarat on the issue of black money, saying such allegations coming from a party which has "patronised the proliferation of blackmoney" seem like the "biggest joke" of these elections.
The principal opposition party also charged the Congress-led UPA government with doing precious little for bringing back black money, attacking Law Minister Kapil Sibal for not taking even a single initiative in this regard while dubbing him as "the biggest patron of crony capitalism in India" for defending the 2G accused.
Raking up again the issue of Robert Vadra's land deals, the party sought an answer from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi "under which entrepreneurial ability by investing a few lakhs of rupees one can become an owner of Rs 300 crore."
"When Congress talks of black money, I am not only curious but it appears the biggest joke of 2014 elections when Kapil Sibal talks of black money.... The way Congress-led government has sought to patronise the proliferation of blackmoney is well known," BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Hitting out at Sibal, who raised the issue of black money generated in Gujarat through illegal liquor trade, the BJP leader said the Law Minister talking of blackmoney is curious.
"Kapil Sibal is the biggest patron of crony capitalism in India, the way he has defended the 2G accused and said there has been no corruption in allocation of 2G spectrum," he said.
Charging Sibal with doing nothing to bring back black money of Indians stashed abroad in Swiss banks and other safe havens, Prasad said, "Has Mr Kapil Sibal taken any initiative in the last nearly two years that he has been Law Minister of India (to bring back black money). Has he taken even one initiative."

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The BJP leader also accused the Finance Ministry of doing nothing to bring back black money even when smaller nations had taken major initiatives in this regard.
Prasad also charged Sibal with being part of a government where there has been "organised corruption and loot".
Sibal had earlier raised the issue saying Gujarat generated as much as Rs 30,000 crore annually through illegal liquor trade in the state as prohibition was imposed there.
The Law Minister also suggested that it was this black money that was used for the aggressive poll campaign by the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha polls.
Asked about issue of BJP candidate Mahant Chandnath and yoga guru Ramdev being caught on camera talking about money in polls, Prasad defended Ramdev saying he has not said anything wrong.
On the BJP candidate, he said, he will himself explain his position. Asked about Ramdev's relation with BJP, he said, though he is not a BJP member, he has been a party sympathiser.

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First Published: Apr 18 2014 | 7:32 PM IST

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