BJP seeks a criminal case against Natwar Singh

New Delhi, Apr 8 (UNI) The BJP today demanded registration of a criminal case against former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and the Congress, named as non-contractual beneficiaries in the Oil-for-food programme for Iraq, following fresh disclosures that Mr Singh had written to then Iraqi Deputy PM Tariq Aziz introducing Andleep Saigal, a close family friend, for pushing the oil deed.

Addressing newspersons, BJP General Secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad expressed his dismay that Prime MInister Manmohan Singh was the first person to give a clean chit to Mr Singh when the Volcker disclosures were made.

The Volcker report had said Mr Singh and the Congress were the beneficiaries of the UN oil-for-food Programme for Iraq, the oil against these coupons was picked up and traded by Masefield A.G., The kickbacks for the Saddam Hussain regime were deposited with the bank of Jordan by Andleep Saigal's Hamadan exports and amounts were deposited in foreign accounts of family member of Mr Arvind Khanna, a Congress MLA from Punjab, a relative of Mr Singh.

Mr Prasad said the disclosures by a private TV channel that the former External Affairs Minister did write a letter to the then Iraqi Deputy PM, pointed to the fact that the government misled the country on the matter.

Wanting to know why the CBI had not registered a criminal case against Mr Natwar Singh and the congress party under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and Prevention of Corruption Act, he demanded the Government come out with a statement confirming or denying the content of these three letters.

UNI KAS ARB PM1711