Congress embarrasses Shekhawat over Natwar issue

New Delhi, June 26 (UNI) In a bid to embarrass Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the Congress Party today petitioned him seeking disqualification of K Natwar Singh, exactly a day after he signed the nomination of Mr Shekhawat as a proposer for the July 19 Presidential election.

AICC Spokesman Abishek Manu Singhvi today termed as "unethical, immoral and unprecedented" the conduct of the NDA in making Mr Natwar Singh as a principal proposer of Mr Shekhawat, "knowing well that he is facing disqualification and that Mr Shekhawat is the sole judge to decide on the issue in his capacity as the Rajya Sabha Chairman." Chief Whip of the Congress Party in Rajya Sabha, Mr V Narayanaswamy, today UNI here that he filed the petition against Mr Singh, who is one of the principal proposers of the candidature of Mr Shekhawat, through the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General.

"The petition is addressed to Mr Shekhawat," he said.

Mr Singhvi said the party had filed a similar petition seeking the disqualification of Mr Singh in May following his sharing of platform with Samajwadi Party leaders during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

However, the petition was returned by Mr Shekhawat on technical grounds and procedural deficiency.

"Everyone knows a member of one party campaigning for another party directly invites disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of Constitution," he said, adding that Vice President, who as the Rajya Sabha Chairman, was the sole authority to decide on disqualification of members of the Upper House of Parliament.

Mr Singhvi said Mr Narayanaswamy had also discussed the impending disqualification of Mr Singh with Mr Shekhwat during the May session of Parliament.

Moreover, Mr Shekhawat was also aware of denial of time sought by Mr Singh to speak on behalf of the Congress in the Upper House on the debate on Indo-US civil nuclear agreement.

In this context, he said Mr Shekhawat had made Mr Singh as one of the principal proposers of his candidature, knowing well the nature of Mr Singh's disqualification and the Congress demand.

"Does it not amount to Chief adjudicator making the principal accused as his principal proposer?" Mr Singhvi asked, and said that "this is a case of grossest conflict of interests." Though former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh was suspended from the Congress Party following his alleged involvement in the oil-for-food scam under the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, he was not formally expelled from the party.

He continues to be a member of Rajya Sabha, where he was elected on Congress ticket four years ago.

Mr Singhvi said Mr Singh was now a "person in search of a political party." UNI