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| Natwar threatens to open a Pandora’s box | | |
New Delhi, Aug 04: Former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, who might be issued a show-cause notice by the Congress high command any time now, has threatened to blow the cover and come up with startling revelations about “others” in Volcker issue. Natwar’s statement is likely to send panic waves in the party circles with the Opposition already having attacked the government in Parliament earlier.
Justice R S Pathak on Thursday indicted Natwar Singh and his MLA son Jagat for misusing their position in regards with three Iraqi oil contracts, which were sold in the international market for commissions.
In a 110-page report presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last evening, Justice Pathak had exonerated the Congress party of being a beneficiary of the oil scam.
Ever since the report became public, Natwar Singh maintained that he and the Congress could not be divorced and he would reply to any questions asked by the party in connection with his indictment by the Pathak Inquiry Authority in the Iraqi Oil-for-food scam.
"The only strength I had was the Congress Party. So how can the Congress Party and I be divorced," he told reporters outside Parliament when asked if he was planning to quit the party.
However, in a brief statement to the media after his indictment by the Pathak Panel in the Iraqi Oil-for-food scam, Singh questioned the clean chit given to the Congress Party in the matter.
"How can any aspersion be cast on me and Congress be given a clean chit," the senior Congress leader said.
Singh had resigned from the Cabinet in December last year in the wake of the political storm triggered by the Volcker committee’s findings that he and the Congress were non-contractual beneficiaries in the UN Oil-for-food programme during the Saddam Hussain regime.
Natwar Singh said he would reply to a showcause notice if the party issues him one. But also hinted that he would not hesitate in revealing further detains on the issue about “others” if the need so arises.
Natwar’s claim for innocence is getting support from the Left Parties and Samajwadi Party giving him a moral boost to take on the Congress if required. |
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