New Delhi: Former External Affairs Minister and suspended Congress leader Natwar Singh, who was embroiled in the Iraqi oil-for-food controversy, on Monday alleged that he was suspended post under US pressure.
"It was a conspiracy of US in which Congress and the media were also involved", news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
Singh, speaking at a seminar on "India's foreign policy and Iraq" organised by the Samajwadi Party-backed Ram Manohar Lohia trust in Lucknow, also hinted at joining the Samajwadi party.
He showered praise on the Samajwadi Party at the function which was also attended Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, and said that it was a "secular party, which was a big thing".
"I was offered a Lok Sabha ticket by Mulayam Singh way back but I had declined the offer saying that I will have to leave him (Mulayam) if Sonia Gandhi enters politics," he was quoted as saying.
The former External Affairs Minister did not miss an opportunity to slam Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
"Only those who are born in the country could understand religion, knowledge, prayer, charity, which are the hallmark of our culture,” he said.
Natwar also rubbished the Volcker Committee and Pathak Committee reports and claimed that neither he nor his son received any kickbacks in the Iraqi oil pay-offs.
He said he expected the Congress leadership to expel him by Tuesday evening because of sharing a platform with SP, but made it clear that he would not resign to enable the Congress to be richer by a Rajya Sabha seat.
On the Volcker committee report, he said his name was not there initially but was included later in order to save the skin of the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
While the other countries threw the report to the dustbin, our government chose to act on it as "its aim was to harass me", he alleged.
"Even the Pathak committee report gave me a clean chit yet instead of welcoming it the Congress High Command chose to issue me a notice," he said.
Meanwhile, Mulayam Singh Yadav said no one would be allowed to ruin Natwar's political career.
"We know that you have been cheated...It has been the tradition of the Nehru-Gandhi family to ruin people in this fashion whether it was T T Krishnmachari or Krishna Menon," Yadav was quoted by PTI as saying.
He said SP wanted to reap the benefits of Natwar Singh's vast experience since 1996 but it could not materialise.
"Now the moment has come in a natural way...You (Natwar) will not find a better party than SP", Yadav said.
Comments
0 comment