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*m12 SHRI E.T. MOHAMMAD BASHEER (PONNANI): Madam Speaker, I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity for making my small observation on this very important topic.

          We had a similar discussion in the past also. On December 14, 2011, there was a threadbare discussion on black money. There was a motion moved by Shri L.K. Advani on the same subject and the then Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee replied to that. In that reply, he had narrated the steps taken by the UPA Government in unearthing unaccounted money, curbing ill-motivated action of tax evading and tax avoiding. Now, the BJP is criticising that the UPA Government did nothing and they have done a lot of things. Shri Pranab Mukherjee in his reply had proudly announced on the floor of this House that the UPA Government was able to unearth Rs. 66,000 crore of unaccounted money. Similarly, the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in G-20  Summit had declared and appealed to the world that:

          The other point on which I would like to seek an answer from the Government is that, the hon. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Venkaiah Naidu ji was talking about the observation made by the then Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee in this House itself.
          Madam, I would like to know the response of the present Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley at that time. What were the observations made?   My simple question is, whether Shri Arun Jaitley, the legal luminary in this country, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, the esteemed leader, Shri L.K. Advani  were not aware of the Tax Avoidance Agreement, the international treaties which were not applicable to them.  Then why was this observation made at the time of the UPA Government?  Why have they  made this observation? The answer is, at that time, we were in the Opposition.  Is it a genuine and justifiable answer?  That means, at the time of election campaign, they have made so many promises and the promises cannot be fulfilled.  What is the reason for it?  It is because many procedural formalities are required to be fulfilled.  Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement is there.  All these were the reasons which were enunciated at the time of the UPA Government in justification for the difficulties which had to be faced.  If that be the case, as the leader of the largest party, as the Congress Party yesterday had cited, the BJP and the Prime Minister owes an apology to the country first because he has made a promise which he is not able to fulfill due to procedural hurdles. He has to apologize to the Congress Party also because he has unnecessarily criticized the Congress Party at that time.  If you want to enjoy the credibility of this Government, definitely, admit the fact and take stringent action.