New Delhi: Mounting an offensive against BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, Congress on Saturday accused the NDA government -- of which Advani was a part -- of indirectly helping those who stash illegal money in foreign banks by abolishing FERA and bringing in FEMA.
"We want to ask him, why did his government do away with the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) and bring in Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in which the punishment is compoundable," party spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi.
Sibal said bringing in illegal money was a "laudable objective" but alleged the BJP leader was "politicising" it to get middle class support as the party had lost the support of all sections.
Posing a question to Advani, the Congress leader asked, "Have you mentioned in your manifesto that you will bring back FERA? What will be the punishment for those who stash money in foreign banks?"
"I know the answer. This is electoral politics," Sibal said.
The spokesman accused the BJP and Advani of being silent for the last 11 years, six years when the NDA was in power and five years when it was in opposition. Sibal said India was already on track to get the money back.