Jaitley backs Swamy's claim, Amarinder to take legal action

BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Thursday backed the claim by Subramanian Swamy that Amarinder Singh has not disclosed offshore accounts held by his two family members in his nomination papers, a charge on which the Congress leader threatened legal action.

Jaitley said that his (Swamy's) charge is based on documents. Swamy's statement is not a vague allegation, Jaitley said adding that it gives details of the trust of which there are Indian beneficiaries. "It also refers to details of certain accounts," he claimed.

"Obviously, nobody expects during election time, the family to admit that it has parked illegal funds in tax havens. But is it enough to say that the allegation is baseless and malicious? The specific details need to be answered," he said.

Jaitley said the matter should be probed. "It is for the government of India through its agencies to issue a letter to competent authorities outside asking for details. It is only then that these details can either be confirmed or contradicted. Are the persons named in Swamy's statement willing to waive off all legal rights in favour of the government agencies, asking the government to come out with confirmation or denial"?

Meanwhile, Amarinder asked Jaitley as why was he "so scared" of naming the "important political family in Punjab" which, according to him, "had parked illegal funds abroad by registering a Trust in a tax haven".

"Or is it only because you know that it is all fiction as it has been scripted by you only and circulated for the purpose of elections through hiring the services of a mercenary like Subramanian Swamy who can do anything for a price," he asked.

On Jaitley's statement that matter should be probed, Amarinder said, yes it must be probed and it will be probed as he was "taking the legal action against Swamy". "I have full faith in our judicial system and that is why I am taking the legal recourse," he said.

"I hope even Jaitley as a lawyer also has faith in the (judicial) system and till then one expects him to exercise restraint rather than riding piggy back on a mercenary no matter even if he has hired him himself and paid a price for it".