In comments that could fuel a fresh controversy over the black money issue, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday said there are Indian names in the Swiss bank data list that are going to be made public. “Yes, there are Indian names in the data that we have already published or are going to publish. I can’t remember specifically whether there are Indian names in the coming publication. But I have read Indian names,” Assange said in an interview with a news channel.
Indicating that there are bigwigs among the Indians having their accounts in Swiss banks, he said, “Similarly, in these private Swiss banking concerns, where you need at least a million dollar, which is a significant amount of money…not an average Indian…”
Asked whether the names will come at any point, he said on “that, you should absolutely not loose hope”.
Dismissing Assange’s remarks Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, “If you are going to allow this, what can legally be called hearsay, to determine the national discourse, then very serious questions are to be raised about the maturity of that discourse,” .
The BJP meanwhile charged the UPA government of not making any effort to bring the black money back despite being pulled up by the SC.
BJP leader L K Advani said “I have been saying since 2008 that the enormous money that has been stashed in tax havens abroad, not only in Switzerland …, must be brought back…”
