The Supreme Court of India.

Ram Jethmalani.

IANS reports from Chandigarh:

Ex-Congress minister says she doesn't have foreign account

Preneet Kaur.

NEW DELHI: Ram Jethmalani, who raked up the black money issue in the Supreme Court, on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of going back on the stand taken by UPA regime for disclosing all information and documents supplied by Germany on unaccounted money parked by Indians in Liechtenstein Bank .He said after the July 2011 verdict on black money, the UPA government had only sought recall of direction for formation of SIT but did not ask for modification or clarification on the issue of Liechtenstein Bank accounts which is now being sought by NDA government."The present administration has resiled from this position and now after over three years (after the judgment, the Centre) is praying for modification/clarification of the judgment and order of July 4, 2011 in connection with the disclosure regarding Liechtenstein Bank accounts of Indians," the expelled BJP leader said while opposing Centre's plea to modify the order.He contended that after three years the Centre cannot now backtrack and is bound and estopped by the fact that directions were not challenged by it regarding Liechtenstein Bank accounts, but have been purportedly complied with (though it is disputed), he said.Jethmalani alleged that the application was an attempt by the NDA government to make apex court-appointed SIT (special investigation team) "dysfunctional and toothless" by depriving it of materials and information and the plea was not "bona fide" and an "abuse" of process of the court."It is submitted that this undisguised and disingenuous attempt to deny information will have direct effect of curtailing the powers, functions and duties of the SIT ... and make it dysfunctional and toothless. The attempt is to put the clock back which was not even attempted by the previous administration," he said in his response.In a separate application, the 91-year-old lawyer sought direction to the Centre to supply all the correspondence and information it received from French government in respect of Indian account holders in Geneva branch of HSBC bank or its subsidiary.He said information regarding names of Indian individuals or entities having accounts in Geneva branch of HSBC's Swiss subsidiary HSBC private bank was obtained from a former bank employee by the French government which was supplied to the Indian government way back in 2011.Former Union minister in the UPA government Preneet Kaur on Monday said that she did not have any foreign bank account.The clarification came on a day when the government submitted names of three individuals having black money in foreign bank accounts to the Supreme Court.Though Preneet Kaur's name was not in this list of three names, media reports suggested that she could be one of the names of foreign bank account holders which have not yet been disclosed by the centre.Preneet Kaur, wife of former Punjab chief minister and now deputy leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Amarinder Singh, admitted that she had received a notice from the income tax (IT) department for the foreign bank account in 2011."In this regard, I can confirm receiving such a notice in 2011, and having replied it wherein I have strongly denied any such allegations," she said in a statement issued in Chandigarh on Monday."In keeping with my reply to the IT department, I should like to state that I never have had, and do not have any bank account(s) overseas in my name in any foreign bank," Preneet Kaur, who is now a Congress legislator in Punjab, said.