Cong hits back at BJP over confidentiality clauses

With the BJP government arguing that the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement entered into with Germany in 1995 by the then Congress government was the constraining factor in disclosing details of black money stashed abroad, the Congress Saturday hit back saying over a dozen pacts with similar confidentiality clause were signed by the NDA when it was in power.

Besides, it argued that the NDA government did not amend the confidentiality clause even though it made changes in three double taxation avoidance agreements when it was in power. The Congress reaction came a day after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government’s hands are tied because of the DTAA signed by the Congress government with Germany in 1995.

“Jaitley, who was Law Minister in the Vajpayee government, has forgotten that his own government signed 14 such DTAA agreements and included the confidentiality clause, now being used as an alibi,” AICC general secretary Ajay Maken said.