Natwar given fair chance,says Disciplinary Committee

New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) Former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh has been given sufficent time of two weeks in which to reply to the show cause notice served to him by the Congress for indiscipline,a spokesman of the Congress Disciplinary Committee(CDC) said today.

"We (Disciplinary Committee members) have taken a balanced view as we don't want to overreact," the spokesman said, claiming it was a ''mature decision.'' "Suspension is no punishment," said the Spokesman of the Disciplinary Committee, headed by Mr A K Antony. The Committee has Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Mr Moti Lal Vora and Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde as its members.

"We are giving him(Natwar Singh) a fair chance. Let him respond", the spokesman said talking informally to media persons here.

Asked whether expulsion of Mr Singh would automatically follow if the Disciplinary Committee is not satisfied with the explanation given by him, the Spokesman parried the question, saying "let him first respond." The Disciplinary Committee Spokesman similarly skirted the question when asked whether the Committee would take into cognijance the statement of Natwar Singh to be made in the Rajya Sabha in formulating its stand on the former External Affairs Minister,saying it was upto the Disciplinary Committee to decide.

The show cause notice,which is less than two page long,was served on Mr Singh following his being indicted by the R S Pathak Authority, which probed the Volcker allegations about his being a non-contractual beneficiary of the Iraq Oil-for-food programme. The Pathak Authority found Mr Singh guilty of misusing his position in securing oil contracts from Iraqi authorities for people close to his son Jagat Singh.

Mr Singh allegedly issued letters of recommendation on AICC letterheads to Iraqi authorities ''without the knowledge of Congress President Sonia Gandhi'' to help the beneficiaries secure oil contracts.

UNI YS PA RS2009