Former External Affairs Minister of India and a Congress leader who had been suspended from the party after being charged in the Iraqi oil-for–food scam announced to quit the Congress on Wednesday.
The announcement of his resignation from the Congress at a BJP-sponsored Jat rally in Jaipur ends the chapter of his 40-long years association with it.
However the speculation about which party he would join, is still on. Sources say he might join BJP.
The rally was organised by the Maharaja Suraj Mal Foundation in his memory in Vidyadhar Nagar and had backing of ruling BJP. Sources are linking the announcement of quitting made by Natwar in the presence of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
With the declaration of his resignation from the Congress, the former Congress leader simultaneously praised Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her government’s achievements, and said that the Congress had changed over the years.
“The Congress is not the same that was nurtured by Gandhi and Nehru,” he spoke. He however did not reply in straight way to the media, which was eagerly asking him if expects to get BJP seat in Parliament, but said just “wait and see.”
His son Jagat a Member of Legislative Assembly in Rajasthan government also did not answer about the future course of action to be taken by his father however said, “he would decide this shortly. I am only a follower.”
The CBI had registered cases against Jagat and his business partners for their alleged involvement in the scam.
The Congress Party suspended the then External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh in 2006 after a probe report on the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal accused him for abusing his position in the party to secure oil coupons for his family members that were allegedly sold at top rate.
His son Jagat Singh, a legislator in Rajasthan, was also expelled from the Congress for anti-party activities in September in the same year. Jagat Singh was found guilty by the State Congress Heads for criticising the Congress leadership while addressing a rally in Jaipur by the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Rajasthan and the Rajasthan Jat Mahasabha in support of his father Natwar Singh.
Jagat Singh had started his political career as general secretary of the Youth Congress in 1998.
The Pathak Inquiry Authority set up by the Central government to unearth the scam, had found Natwar misused his position to get oil contracts during the Saddam Hussein regime for his son's friend Andaleeb Sehgal. However, the Authority said Singh did not get personal benefit from the deal.
A few months later in 2006, Natwar was suspended from the party while his son Jagat Singh, a legislator in Rajasthan, was expelled. The Congress disciplinary action committee is dealing with his case.
Natwar Singh, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1953 and served for 31 years, and later entered into politics by joining the Congress in 1984 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bharatpur constituency in Rajasthan.
Oil-for-food scandal
Natwar Singh was removed from the post of External Affairs Minister on November 7, 2005 after got his name into the controversy over his alleged involvement in Iraqi Oil for food scandal.
The independent Inquiry Committee headed by Paul Volcker had reported Natwar Singh and his son Jagat were non-contractual beneficiaries of the oil for food programme. This controversy heated up when Anil Mathrani, the then Indian Ambassador to Croatia and a close associate to Natwar Singh alleged Natwar Singh had used an official visit to Iraq to procure oil coupons for Jagat Singh from Saddam’s regime. On December 6, 2005 he resigned from the cabinet.
On August 8 Natwar Singh was suspended from the primary membership of Congress Party for moving privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of leakage of Justice Pathak Committee report.
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