Tharoor defeat in straw poll ''disgrace'' for India: Swamy

New Delhi, Sept 29: Janata Party President Subramanaian Swamy today claimed India had earned ''international disgrace'' in the defeat of its UN Secretary General nominee Shashi Tharoor in straw poll of Security Council members.

Reacting to yesterday's results, Dr Swamy said Mr Tharoor's candidature was on expected lines but alleged his name was ''personally determined'' by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi ''primarily to ensure the confidential papers of the Iraq's Oil for Food scandal would remain in the safe hands in the office of new UN Secretary General.

''India's standing would have been greater had it supported the candidature of Sri Lankan candidate,'' Mr Swamy claimed.

He said the vouchers issued by Iraqi government for the purchase of oil at the discounted price to political favourites of Saddam Hussain's regime were presently in the Secretary General's office.

''It is this fear that made the government to back Mr Tharoor, a known retainer of the Nehru family. He got the backing of the Communists because he was rubbishing Hindu religion in his writings,'' Dr Swamy alleged.

A straw poll is an informal voting system adopted by the UN to gauge the opinion of participants on an issue and to attempt to determine what is the prevailing trend.

UNI