Put inquiry against me on fast track: Natwar Singh

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) Taking strong exception to the extension of the term of the Justice R S Pathak Inquiry Authority, former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh today demanded that the probe be put on ''fast track'' to enable him to come out clean from the charges of involvement in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam as soon as possible.

''I am perplexed by the extension being asked and given,'' Mr Natwar Singh said in an interview to CNBC TV channel for its programme ''India Tonight,'' hosted by Mr Karan Thapar.

Barely, a few hours after the interview, the government announced a three-month extension, till August 10, to the authority which is also going into the references to the Congress party and several Indian companies, including the State Trading Corporation (STC) and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), in the Paul Volcker Committee report.

The independent committee, set up by the United Nations, had mentioned them as beneficiaries of the financial irregularities.

Asserting that he and his son, Jagat Singh, were quite confident of getting their names cleared in the case, he said if they had done anything wrong ''they would have proved it by now.'' ''Neither I nor my son had any business deal with Andaleeb Saigal,'' who was considered close to them and whose name figured as the recipient of the oil coupons, he said.

Alleging that investigating authorities had kept revising the money involved in the scam, he said from Rs 400 crore it was brought down to Rs 200 crore and now it appeared that they were talking about a mere 45,000 dollars.

In the 30-minute interview, the former Minister fielded questions on a wide range of issues, including the new conditions being sought to be brought in by the United States in the Indo-US nuclear deal and the situation in Nepal.

Replying to a question, he regretted that he and his son had become the lone target in the oil coupon scam, though the Congress had also been named in the Volcker committee report.

''I am sure, it is for the Congress to make it clear'' that none of its leaders was the beneficiary of any illegal gratification in the oil scam.

Admitting that he had visited Iraq... Editors: Pl pick up para one of DI 21, POLITICS-NATWAR SINGH-PATHAK PANEL TWO LAST NEW DELHI.

UNI SN RA GC2053