Amit Shah calls Modi bluff on black money

BJP chief says statement was election rhetoric

BJP president Amit Shah has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statements during the Lok Sabha election campaign that Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in the bank accounts of all Indians once the black money is recovered was a political 'jumla' (idiom).

Shah said "Modiji's statement was an idiomatic expression (jumla) that was given during the Lok Sabha polls. Everybody knows that this black money doesn't go to accounts of people.”

He said, “The black money that would return to the country from abroad will be used to help the poor and the needy through schemes. Modiji had said that. If Opposition leaders like Arvind Kejriwal do not understand this, then I pity them."

Shah's statement was seen as an admission that Modi's statement was part of the election rhetoric during the 2014 polls as Opposition has been attacking the PM and the BJP for not fulfilling "election promises."

Shah told ABP News that "the thought behind Modi's statement was to recover the black money stashed abroad and utilizing it to the development of the poor."

The poser to the BJP chief came as he said the Delhi election was a fight between two ideologies – one that makes and keeps its promises, referring to the BJP, and the other of lying and making false promises, hinting towards the AAP. Recalling AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s earlier statements, Shah said that “there is a difference between jumlas and promises."

Shah held that "the AAP chief is known to make tall promises and not fulfilling them. He had vowed not to take government car, accommodation, will make contractual labourers permanent, and conduct weekly janata darbars.

 He had also said he will serve the people of Varanasi for 5 years even if he wins or lose the Lok Sabha contest against Modi. All of these were clear promises made to the citizens and not idiomatic expressions.”

"Didn't you (AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal) say that you will never enter politics? Then why did you do so? You also took Congress support to form the government in Delhi despite promising not to do so.

Shah also accused the AAP of deceiving Delhi's trader community by making false claims about reduction in VAT (value-added tax) during its 49-day rule.