Modi govt helping suited-booted friends to convert black money: Congress

New Delhi : The Congress on Saturday alleged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of helping "suited-booted" friends to convert their black money into white.

Addressing the press briefing, Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged the demonetisation is a money-laundering scam that the Prime Minister Modi government created during their tenure.

"I would like to remind real, fake and shadow Finance Ministers of India, demonetisation is a money laundering scam that government created. This government has worked towards one goal-continues to protect its suited booted friends and ensure help to convert black money into white," Chaturvedi said.

"It shows the brazen, the arrogance of fraudsters who have looted the thousands or crores of Indian tax payers' money and enjoying their life in foreign shows. This government has worked against people, against the common man and continued to give red carpets to the fraudsters," she told ANI.

The allegations by the Congress came amid the reports of 50 percent rise in the money parked by Indians in Swiss banks in 2017.

A report by a central European nation released data that showed money parked by Indians rose over 50 percent to 1.01 billion Swiss francs (Rs. 7,000 crores) in 2017.