Finding the Government on the back foot over the black money issue, the Congress went on the offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the second consecutive day on Saturday. Apart from trying to expose the doublespeak by the BJP central leadership, the Congress also underscored the fact that the much talked about ``confidentiality clause’’ was included by the Vajpayee Government in all the 14 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) signed under its watch.
While the Government’s ``U turn’’ on the black money issue has breathed some life into the Congress that has been struggling to find its feet since the Lok Sabha elections, party leaders could not help rue the bad timing. ``If only this had happened two days earlier, it could have had some impact on the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections. This is a clear case of the kind of empty promises the BJP makes,’’ was the Congress refrain.
Though there is no immediate spinoff for the Congress, communications chief Ajay Maken maintained that as the principal opposition party, ``we have to respond to this politically’’. Two statements made by senior BJP leaders got special treatment from him: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to put Rs. 15 lakh each in everyone’s bank account after bringing back the black money and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s January 18, 2011, statement that ``the government’s [UPA’s] argument that it can reveal the names to the Supreme Court but not to the public due to double taxation is baseless’’.
``Where is the Rs. 15 lakh you promised each one of us, Prime Minister,’’ Mr. Maken asked, adding that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had promised to get back the black money stashed abroad within 100 days of the BJP coming to power.
``100 days are over,’’ the Congress spokesman said. For Mr. Prasad, the question was: `Why is it that your interpretation of the DTAA has changed with your political fortunes? As Opposition leader you said the UPA Government’s argument was baseless. Now that you are in government you are using that very same argument in court.’’
As for Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s contention that the DTAA with Germany was signed by a Congress Government in June 1995, Mr. Maken said the agreement was signed on October 26, 1996, and notified on November 29, 1996.
The Congress, he pointed out, was not in government at that time. In October-November 1996, a United Front Government was in power at the Centre and the Congress was supporting it from outside.
Further, according to Mr. Maken, the BJPled NDA Government of Atal Behari Vajpayee incorporated the confidentiality clause in every one of the 14 DTAAs it signed between 1998 and 2004. Also, the NDA Government did not touch the confidentiality clause while amending the DTAAs with Switzerland, France and Netherlands. ``Why did the BJPled NDA Government not change the confidentiality clause when it had a chance between 1998 and 2004. Mr. Jaitley was Law Minister in that Government,’’ Mr. Maken added.
