Mumbai, Sep 2 (IANS) Former union law minister Ram Jethmalani Thursday decried what he termed as the 'totally dishonest' attitude of the centre in the matter of huge amounts of money hidden in foreign banks.

Addressing media persons here, the Rajya Sabha MP of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that huge amounts of money stolen by criminal offenders from the pockets of poor people of India were hidden in foreign banks.

'It is increasingly certain that bigwigs of the Congress are involved in these grave crimes, including Sonia Gandhi and her son,' alleged Jethmalani.

He said that the latest protocol with the Swiss government is a further attempt to blockade the acquisition of information about these highly influential criminals.

'The protocol does not even make sense. The double taxation treaty has nothing to do with the present situation,' Jethmalani claimed.

The eminent jurist and legal expert took up the Bhopal gas disaster issue to continue his attack on the centre and said that no responsible or satisfactory answers have been furnished by the government, including on important questions.

'Who settled the suit claim of $3.3 billion for a meagre amount of $470 million, less than 1/7th of the amount claimed? No one has yet denied that, according to the Union Carbide, they have paid more money under the table outside the settlement,' he alleged.

Jethmalani further claimed that this 'unholy deal' took place between a friend of Rajiv Gandhi (the former prime minister and husband of Sonia Gandhi) and a Union Carbide representative, but no information is forthcoming about with whom, where and how the settlement took place.

Dwelling on the issue of rotting foodgrains, Jethmalani wondered if not merely (Agriculture Minister) Sharad Pawar, but the entire union cabinet and the 'ruling' (Gandhi) family be sent to jail if not a lunatic asylum.

Hitting out at the government, Jethmalani questioned whether they had the minimum common sense of the common man who pays for their comfortable existence, who is starving and millions of children go to bed on empty stomachs even as tonnes and tonnes of foodgrains are rotting away.