Never talked about bringing back black money in 100 days: Govt

The government on Thursday insisted in Lok Sabha that it had never claimed that all the black money stashed abroad would be brought back within 100 days even as the Opposition continued to target it over the issue.

Contesting the opposition charge in this regard, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu cited BJP's Lok Sabha election manifesto which said a task force would be set up to deal with the problem of black money.

"We are not so immature to say we will bring back entire black money in 100 days," Naidu said while intervening in a debate on black money.

His comment came in response to attack by Opposition which said BJP leaders had promised to bring back black money within 100 days of coming to power and questioned why it did not happen as six months had elapsed.

Naidu said the BJP election manifesto stated that if voted to power, the government will minimise the scope for corruption and set up a task force for tracking down or bringing back black money.

The process of bringing back black money will be put in motion, he said.

Listing out the measures taken by the BJP government to deal with the black money menace, Naidu said whenever 100 days is said, it means action will be initiated within 100 days.

He claimed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had first talked about 100 days with respect to unearthing of black money when he made a statement in Parliament in July 2009.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said people had trusted the BJP's election campaign of bringing back the money stashed abroad and hence the government should give an assurance in the House when the money would be brought back. Youth of the country thought they will get Rs 15 lakh. You sold lies to people. The government has to inform Parliament when they will bring the money back, Yadav said.