Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Friday accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of trying to defeat a petition filed by him and a few others in the Supreme Court to bring back money stashed away abroad by Indians. He alleged that the UPA failed to implement a court order on the report of a special investigation team, comprising two former apex court judges, which probed the issue.
Releasing ‘B.S. Yeddyurappa, his vision and passions’, a book written by the former Chief of Bureau, The Hindu , Bangalore, C.M. Ramachandra, Mr. Jethmalani said that when Germany managed to get details of those who kept their money in Swiss banks, what prevented India from doing so. He said that the then Lokayukta failed to do justice to Mr. Yeddyurappa by not giving him an opportunity to defend himself before submitting its report on illegal mining.
Congress MLA Ramesh Kumar responded to Mr. Jethmalani’s accusation that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had also stashed money abroad by alleging that leaders in other parties had also done the same. He asked why the opposition failed to raise the issue in Parliament.
He advised Mr. Yeddyurappa to keep his family members and sycophants at bay if he returns to power. Buying MLAs from other parties wrecked the Yeddyurappa government, he alleged.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said that it was his government that urged the Centre at the National Development Council to stop export of iron ore, but “some people conspired to implicate him in the scam”.
He felicitated Mr. Ramachandra with a Mysore peta and a shawl.
