New Delhi, May 13: Hitting out at the former finance minister P Chidambaram over disproportionate assets case, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that in India, this is the Nawaz Sharif moment for the Congress party. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Sitharaman said, “For some time now we have been hearing a lot of action by the I-T authorities against former finance minister P Chidambaram and his family. In India, for the Congress Party, this is the Nawaz Sharif moment.”
Talking on undisclosed income, she questioned the Congress party’s president Rahul Gandhi and said, “The Congress party’s’ president who is also out on bail on a financial matter, he should certainly comment and tell people of India if he is going to investigate on this senior leader of the party(P Chidambaram) not having disclosed income held abroad.”
Defence minister’s comment came after Income-Tax (I-T) department had informed a special court in Chennai that former Union minister P Chidambaram’s wife Nalini, son Karti and daughter-in-law Srinidhi didn’t disclose their foreign assets and investments while filing their I-T returns. As per law, not disclosing foreign assets and investments in violation of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, and it also invites a heavy penalty besides a jail term for up to 10 years.
She further said, “In pursuit of black money, time was given time to disclose assets which are held and bring it to public notice. This act provides for if convicted provides 120% tax and penalty on those undisclosed assets and income, and when proven invites jail term.” (ALSO READ: Nawaz Sharif Admits Pak Terror Outfits Behind Mumbai 26/11 Attacks)
Sitharaman also spoke on Nawaz Sharif’s admission that Pakistan terror outfits were behind 26/11 attack in Mumbai. She said that India strongly believed that the handlers of the 26/11 offences were in Pakistan and statement of ousted PM Nawaz Sharif remark proves that our stand has been right all through the way.
On Saturday, former Pakistan PM has admitted that homegrown terrorist outfits were responsible for the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. On November 26, 2008, ten armed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists forced their way into Mumbai and carried out coordinated shooting and bombing. Commonly called the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the city was under siege till November 29.