NDA slams Congress-led UPA for 'sitting on' black money issue

New Delhi: The ruling NDA on Tuesday hit out at the previous UPA regime saying it had failed to set up an SIT on black money despite a Supreme Court direction for the same even as it asserted that it will bring out the truth in the matter after acting on it on priority. "Supreme Court had in a way directed the Centre to form an apex court-monitored SIT. For three years, the (UPA) government sat on it. After Narendra Modi became prime minister, the first decision at the first Cabinet meeting was regarding the constitution of the Special Investigation Team," Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.

"You (Congress) were sitting on it for three years. We took up the matter and said that we will bring out the truth," the minister added during an 'Aaj Tak' event. Pradhan was responding to an attack by Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam who said that the issue of black money was raised during the Lok Sabha poll campaign and both Modi and Rajnath Singh had promised to bring it back within 100 days.

"Modi and Rajnath had promised that within 100 days, they will bring back black money. They didn't promise formation of an SIT in 100 days. "Your government took oath on May 26 and May 31 was the last date (set by) SC for you to form the SIT. So you did not do any favour. You were satisfying SC. SC did not give votes to you, the people did with an expectation that you will bring back black money," Nirupam said.

When the issue came up of parties' performance in the recent byelections in the country, Pradhan said that the results of such exercises in some state does not reflect the mood of the people across India. It is the people who will decide the outcome of elections and BJP will win three states in the upcoming Assembly polls in the country. Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand are all facing state polls.

"The results of bypolls is not (indicative of) the mood of the nation. Whatever results came in the bypolls, it was definitely not satisfactory... The party is thinking about it," Pradhan said. Meanwhile, taking a dig at Congress, Pradhan said that the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections was a "nightmare" for the party.