Taking on the government over its inability to crack down on corruption, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders claimed that about Rs. 20.85 lakh crore of ill-gotten money was stashed in foreign banks. “I read a report by Global Financial Integrity which claims that the money is illicitly kept in foreign banks,” senior BJP leader LK Advani said while addressing the National Democratic Alliances’ first public rally on Sunday.

The Centre, replying to a petition by lawyer Ram Jethmalani, had claimed difficulty in providing names of individuals who have money and accounts in Swiss and German banks. “The prime minister had assured us that that he would take action within 100 days of taking oath. What has happened to this assurance?” Advani asked.

He said a former prime minister associated with the Congress had an account in foreign bank. “The issue of corruption, scams, and rising inflation are all linked with getting this money back. It rightfully belongs to the nation,” the leader said.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari alleged that in 2010 scams worth Rs. 2.50 lakh crore had hit the country — in all worth 3% per cent of the country’s GDP.

Gadkari said the Congress needed to clarify the relationship between Quattrocchi and the Gandhi family. The rally, the third after gatherings at Delhi and Guwahati, was attended by BJP leaders Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray, JD(U)s Sharad Yadav and Akali Dal’s Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala. The alliance has planned seven more rallies across the country.