'Mole' controversy, storm in a tea cup: Cong

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Congress today described as utterly irresponsible the behaviour of former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh in raising the issue of alleged ''mole'' in the PMO but failing to disclose his identity, and said the whole controversy has turned out to be a ''storm in a tea cup''.

''Mr Jaswant Singh has proved that he is a man having nothing to say, but needing lot of time to say,'' Congress Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

''Mr Jaswant Singh has shown utter irresponsibility by taking the people and the nation for a ride, seeking self-serving publicity, by repeatedly telling the people through the press that he knows the identity of the mole,'' he told reporters here.

After giving the clear impression yesterday that he would reveal the identity of the mole, what Mr Singh had said ultimately in Parliament amounted only to ''beating about the bush'', Mr Singhvi said, adding it was an utter wastage of the time of Parliament and the nation.

''After crossing valleys and mountains, what we have found is a large hole but no mole,'' the Congress Spokesman said.

Coming down heavily on the former external affairs minister for his ''irresponsible behaviour'', Mr Singhvi said Mr Singh had completely failed in his duty towards the nation on an issue involving national security. ''It shows the utter shamelessness in which they (Mr Singh and BJP) tried to take the people for a ride.'' When asked whether the Government proposed to take any action in the matter, Mr Singhvi said, ''We cannot shoot in the dark. It is utterly irresponsible behaviour on the part of a parliamentarian and former defence minister and external affairs minister.

UNI