From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: With the WikiLeaks making a sensational exposure of names of some prominent Indians who have stashed away black money in Swiss banks including an MP from Northeast and incumbent minister for DONER, Paban Singh Ghatowar, opposition political parties have called for action on part of government of India to verify the veracity of the WikiLeaks expose in the interest of country’s prestige in from of the global community.
Referring to the WikiLeaks expose, the BJP’s organization in-charge in the Northeast P Chandra Sekhar said since names of so many prominent persons and politicians were involved, the Government of India should institute a probe into the matter to get to the bottom of it.
He said such an action on part the government was necessary especially when corruption in higher places have become an issue of raging debate in the country and the incumbent UPA government has failed to take any concrete action to bring back whooping amount of ‘black money’ stashed way in foreign banks .
The BJP leaders said besides the government those whose names have been ‘exposed’ by WikiLeaks should consider it their moral responsibility to clarify their stand on it as the country’s prestige has been put at stake.
Similar view has been aired by the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Vice-president of the AGP, Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee stated that WikiLeaks expose on Indian black money holders on Swiss Banks put names of prominent law makers, people’s representatives under cloud besides affecting the prestige of the country, so it was a duty of the government of India to institute a ‘high-level and neutral ‘ probe into the matter to ascertain the veracity of WikiLeaks claim and take action against those black money holders if they were found to be guilty of betraying the country and its people.
When contacted for a response to the mention of DONER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar’s name in the list of black money holders in Swiss banks as exposed by WikiLeaks, no comment was forthcoming from the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarter here. The DONER minister is a Lok Sabha member from Assam.