Asserting that tax evader Hasan Ali Khan would not be allowed to escape from the country, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that due process of law will be followed in tackling the cases of black money stashed abroad.
During the Question Hour when members from the Opposition benches raised the issue, finance minister Mukherjee asserted: “Hasan Ali has not been allowed to leave the country. Supreme Court directions in this regard will be observed.”
Making no bones about the government’s intention, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, however, said, he cannot “hang anyone” merely on the basis of allegations and “due process of the law” was being followed in dealing with cases of black money.
As if they did not hear the finance minister, members from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left parties stood up demanding categorical answer from Mr Mukherjee.
On the Opposition members’ demand for making public the names of persons who have stashed black money in foreign banks, Mr Mukherjee lost his cool and shot back saying that a department of his ministry has also raided a CPI(M) leader.
“But I cannot hang her. The due process of law has to be followed,” he said.
These words from Mr Mukherjee angered the members of Left parties who trooped into the well demanding an apology from the minister. This followed a heated exchange between CPI(M) members and Mr Mukherjee.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was sitting next to Mr Mukherjee, also appeared surprised at the remarks and after a gentle nudge from Parliamentary affairs minister P.K. Bansal the finance minister took his seat and then Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House for brief 15 minutes.
After the House re-assembled, Mr Mukherjee informed that the Income-Tax Department was pursuing the prosecution of Hassan Ali, whom it had earlier described as the leading tax defaulter of the country.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet on Friday approved finance ministry proposals to have treaties with five more countries in its pursuit to bring back black money stashed abroad.
Under the agreements, India can seek information regarding secret bank accounts. The five countries include Malta, Georgia and Uruguay, sources said.
India has already signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) with 79 countries and modifications in such pacts were needed in 74 of them to broaden the scope of article of exchange of information to include exchange of banking information.