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NEW DELHI: The deep regret expressed by the Working Chairperson of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), L.K. Advani, on Friday, to Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the charge by a BJP-appointed task force that she and her late husband Rajiv Gandhi had accounts in Swiss banks has led to a sense of unease among a section of the BJP.
“On my return from Kolkata last [Thursday] night, I found your letter dated 15 February awaiting me. I am happy that you have categorically denied the reports alluded to in the Task Force's report on Black Money. If these had been denied earlier, I am sure the Task Force would have factored in, the denial in its report. Even so, I deeply regret the distress caused to you,” Mr. Advani said in a letter to Ms. Gandhi.
The sense of unease among a section of the BJP over the regret arose as the party at the present juncture is turning the heat on the Congress and the government over the issue of corruption.
The episode also puts a question mark on the authenticity of the two reports of the Task Force titled “Indian Black Money Abroad in Secret Banks and Tax Havens.”
Releasing the report to the media on February 1, Mr. Advani had said it was drawn on ‘authoritative references.' The first report was made public in April 2009.
In his comments on the second report, Mr. Advani contended that well-known cases of bribery and money laundering, including the Liechtenstein Bank disclosures, the hawala affair of Hasan Ali Khan, the Quattrocchi case and the alleged foreign account maintained in the name of a former Prime Minister of India belonging to the Congress have not been investigated, or investigation into which are being stymied.
Asked about Mr. Advani's letter, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told journalists that Ms. Gandhi should have issued a rebuttal or a denial earlier as several magazines and journals had made these allegations against her family members.
“The letter of L.K. Advani to Sonia Gandhi expressing regret over the pain caused to her on allegations of foreign bank accounts in her family member's names has to be seen in the proper context,” Mr. Prasad maintained.
“In spite of the serious nature of these allegations there was no rebuttal or denial. Therefore, in the absence of any firm denial, these allegations carried some validity,” he said.
“On my return from Kolkata last [Thursday] night, I found your letter dated 15 February awaiting me. I am happy that you have categorically denied the reports alluded to in the Task Force's report on Black Money. If these had been denied earlier, I am sure the Task Force would have factored in, the denial in its report. Even so, I deeply regret the distress caused to you,” Mr. Advani said in a letter to Ms. Gandhi.
The sense of unease among a section of the BJP over the regret arose as the party at the present juncture is turning the heat on the Congress and the government over the issue of corruption.
The episode also puts a question mark on the authenticity of the two reports of the Task Force titled “Indian Black Money Abroad in Secret Banks and Tax Havens.”
Releasing the report to the media on February 1, Mr. Advani had said it was drawn on ‘authoritative references.' The first report was made public in April 2009.
In his comments on the second report, Mr. Advani contended that well-known cases of bribery and money laundering, including the Liechtenstein Bank disclosures, the hawala affair of Hasan Ali Khan, the Quattrocchi case and the alleged foreign account maintained in the name of a former Prime Minister of India belonging to the Congress have not been investigated, or investigation into which are being stymied.
Asked about Mr. Advani's letter, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told journalists that Ms. Gandhi should have issued a rebuttal or a denial earlier as several magazines and journals had made these allegations against her family members.
“The letter of L.K. Advani to Sonia Gandhi expressing regret over the pain caused to her on allegations of foreign bank accounts in her family member's names has to be seen in the proper context,” Mr. Prasad maintained.
“In spite of the serious nature of these allegations there was no rebuttal or denial. Therefore, in the absence of any firm denial, these allegations carried some validity,” he said.
