Natwar challenges Cong leadership to expel him from party

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 19 (UNI) Suspended Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, who has initiated the process for a possible tie-up with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), today challenged the Congress leadership to expel him from the party.

Talking to newspersons here, he said party's Disciplinary Action Committee Chairman A K Antony had no moral authority to take action against him, as Mr Antony himself had been expelled from the party for six years in the past for abusing the party and its leadership.

He was also very critical about Mr Antony in his present assignment as Defence Minister. ''Your former Chief Minister is in a wrong job. Clarity of thoughts and expressions are needed to head this highly technical and complicated Ministry.'' However, Mr Singh took extra care to avoid any adverse remark against Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Asked whether he had any discussion with veteran leader K Karunakaran on the issue of his joining the NCP headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, he said no decision had been taken yet. ''It is a process and I have all options open except going to the RSS,'' he added.

On his move to build up an 'anti-Congress' platform, Mr Singh said he had been in touch with leaders of various political parties as the next year was going to be politically important in view of the Assembly elections and also the elections to the post of President and Vice-president.

UNI CR RP HT1412