Black money: Kiran Bedi backs Modi govt's stand, says Jethmalani needs to be patient

New Delhi: Former cop and social activist Kiran Bedi on Saturday backed the Narendra Modi government's stance on bringing back black money stashed abroad and asked naysayers like senior advocate Ram Jethmalani to be 'patient'.

Taking on Jethmalani's accusation that Narendra Modi-led NDA government was trying to protect the culprits who stashed money in overseas, Bedi said, "The government didn't say they will not reveal names. It said that there is a due process in place wherein SIT will come in."

Bedi pointed out the steps taken by the NDA government in this regard, and said, "Switzerland wasn't on board before and now it is."

"Where we waited for 60 years, can't we wait a little more? The people need to be charge-sheeted before their names are revealed. Mr Jethmalani needs to be patient," she added.

The Supreme Court had constituted Special Investigating Team (SIT) on black money on Jethmalani's plea. And after Centre informed the apex court that it was unable to disclose names of black money holders abroad, Jethmalani said that such a matter should be not heard. "This matter should not be entertained even for a day," he hit back.

Jethmalani had claimed that approximately Rs 70 lakh crores were lying in foreign banks and had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard, but had received no response.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had earlier said that the names of black money holders abroad could not be disclosed because the double tax avoidance pacts signed by the previous government with certain countries bars such information being made public.