UPA Govt deviating from Nehru's vision of foreign policy: Natwar

Bangalore, Feb 20 (UNI) The UPA Government at the Centre has deviated from the independent and non-aligned foreign policy envisioned by the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru by ''shamelessly'' toeing the line of the United States, suspended Congressman and former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh alleged today.

Delivering a talk on 'India's Foreign Policy and Iraq', organised by Samajwadi Party here, he claimed that the country's foreign policy based on national consensus was being eroded by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to please the US. Till last year, there was a broad consensus on how the country's foreign policy should be, he added.

Condemning the invasion of Iraq by the US and the subsequent execution of its deposed President Saddam Hussein following a ''flawed'' trial, he said it was sad that both Singh and Mrs Gandhi had failed to condemn the unacceptable act of the US. ''This (the Iraq misadventure) is going to be a bigger tragedy for the US than the debacle it suffered in Vietnam,'' he claimed.

''Nobody can change India's fundamental foreign policy and get away with it. The fundamental question is the silence of Dr Singh and Mrs Gandhi over the execution of Saddam Hussain, who was a great friend of India. We should insist that the UPA Government follow the foreign policy as visualised by Pandit Nehru and followed by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi,'' Mr Singh said.

On the Volcker report which indicted him in the corruption by UN-appointed agencies working in the ' out for food' programme in Iraq, he said he was neither involved in any of the deals, nor had he signed any contract or even a receipt.

''Not a single Indian company was questioned in this matter, while I was victimised. The amount involved was Rs 55 lakh while the Government has spent crores of Rupees by appointing three inquiry commissions. While other countries involved in the programme had consigned the report to dust bin, it was blown out of proportions in India. Media also got on my back. Later, I realised that this was a political conspiracy hatched by some vested interests against me,'' he alleged.

UNI