Why didn't BJP bring back black money during its rule, asks Sonia

PANAJI: Targetting the BJP for campaigning against the UPA government over its "failure" in bringing back black money stashed abroad, Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked why the BJP-led NDA government did not act upon it when it was in power.

"BJP keeps talking of corruption and black money stashed abroad. Of course, we must do everything to bring back black money, if at all it is stashed abroad," Gandhi said while addressing an election rally in Fatorda constituency in Goa.

"I would like to question BJP that when they were in power for six long years, what were they doing? L K Advani was the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister at that time. What did he do to bring back money?" she asked.

She said that her party believes in getting rid of corruption and that the Congress-led government has taken very firm measures against it. "That is what the Congress-led government is doing at the Centre with all sincerity," she said.

"We ensured that the Lokpal Bill is passed in the Lok Sabha. However, it was the BJP and some other parties, who stopped it in the Rajya Sabha," she said adding that the BJP leaders were "hypocrites".

"You see what kind of hypocrisy they are involved in. We remain determined to perceive a strong and effective Lokpal Bill," Gandhi said.

"When we receive your mandate (in Goa) we will have a strong and independent Lokayukta, for which, the state government has already passed the resolution," she added.

"Nobody is above the Law. Investigating agencies must be given a free hand to look into the cases of corruption and book offenders," she said.