The BJP fought and won the general election using corruption and black money as principal planks (“ >Row over black money remark ,”Oct. 24), but in the past five months its actions on this front have been disappointing. In this time, a major chunk of the money may have become untraceable. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has shocked many by taking shelter under the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement. DTAA is only meant to protect legal account holders from paying tax in countries of their domicile and birth. Money in “numbered accounts” is ill-gotten and unaccounted for, and those holders deserve no leniency.
N. Ramamurthy,
Chennai
One of the reasons honest taxpaying citizens voted for the BJP was because they believed it would bring to light the names of the those who have stashed away ill-gotten money in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Dubai, Mauritius and the Bahamas. It is unfortunate that the BJP is now playing games. In this day and age of electronic bank transactions, the money trail may well have gone cold. The BJP is bound to lose face if it delays taking action in this issue.
J. Baby Harline,
Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu
People are unable to decipher the import of “loaded” statements that the BJP and the Congress are hurling at each other. Mr. Jaitley’s remark that the “disclosure of black money holders will embarrass the Congress” is flabbergasting. Any “selective leakage” of names will only show that the BJP is hiding something. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet must remember that they took oath of office by uttering the words “without fear or favour”.
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
The Supreme Court has said corruption is a serious issue and must be dealt with an iron hand. Why is the government then busy finding ways to evade its responsibility to act sternly? The subject of black money is the mother of all corruption issues.
D.V.G. Sankararao,
Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh