It’s an article of faith: PM

It’s an article of faith: PM
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Highlights

In his second radio address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to get back every penny of the black money stashed abroad.

‘Trust this Pradhan Sevak, every penny will be brought back’

  • All efforts to get back black money on track
  • No idea how much is stashed away abroad
  • Mann ki Baat programmed on All India Radio on every Sunday a 11 am

New Delhi: In his second radio address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to get back every penny of the black money stashed abroad, days after his government was accused of making a U-turn on the issue.

The Prime Minister had started his radio chats on October 3 with a 15-minute speech titled 'Mann ki Baat'. Future sessions, he had said, would be held on Sundays at 11 am on All India Radio.

The PM said the efforts to bring back black money stashed abroad are on the "right track" even as he acknowledged that there was no correct estimate about how much money is kept illegally in foreign countries. The Congress has claimed that the Prime Minister promised to bring back Rs 55,000 crore stashed abroad and almost every Indian will have Rs 15 lakh in his bank account.

In an address to the nation over radio, he said that bringing back black money from outside the country is an "article of faith" for him and nothing will be lacking in his efforts to do so.

The Prime Minister's commitment comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court order to disclose all the names of the account holders in foreign banks despite confidentially clause in treaties with other countries. The government maintained that disclosure of details of account holders would hamper efforts to bring back black money. However, it beat a hasty retreat after the Supreme Court ordered it to disclose the names of account holders in HSBC Geneva which amounted to 627 in number. The government also came under attack from opposition parties that it was going back on its election promise to unearth and bring back black money stashed abroad.

"As far as black money is concerned, you should have faith on this 'pradhan sevak'. For me, it is an article of faith. Every penny of the money of poor people in this country, which has gone out, should return. This is my commitment," Modi said in ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio.

"There may be differences over the approach and procedures, which is natural in a democracy. But as far as my understanding goes and on the basis of information I have, I can say we are on the right track," he said.

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