PM not obliged to give appointment to Jaswant: Cong

New Delhi, July 28(UNI) Blaming former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh once again for not disclosing the name of the alleged spy in the PMO and accusing him of abetment in the crime, the Congress today asserted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was under no obligation to give an appointment to the BJP leader.

''The Prime Minister has other better things to do (than give an appointment),'' Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said, replying to questions at the party's routine press briefing in Parliament House.

The Prime Minister is entitled to give time at his choosing, he said, adding that even more than a week after the Prime Minister and the Congress asked Mr Singh to disclose the identity of the alleged ''mole'' in the PMO, Mr Singh had not done so though he owes it as a duty to the nation to disclose the identity.

In reply to further questions, he said the Government had kept its options open on what legal action to take in the matter. But unless Mr Singh furnishes the necessary facts, no inquiry was possible, he added.

''The Government will decide what it has to do in due course,'' he said, noting the ''first person to act should be Mr Jaswant Singh.'' Mr Singhvi said they reserved the right to take any legal action but any course they followed and its timing would depend on the Government.

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