Who is K. Natwar Singh, the man behind Congress's sore spot?

Updated: Friday, August 1, 2014, 13:26 [IST]

New Delhi, Aug 1: Kunwar Natwar Singh, as his named, suggests belongs to an aristocratic Jat family of Rajasthan. A senior Indian politician and bureaucrat, he served as the Union Cabinet minister and India's foreign minister. He is now surrounded by controversies, much to the chagrin of the Congress. His autobiography 'One Life is not enough' has shaken the roots of the party, revealing secrets to the world which were better hushed up.

His targets-Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi and the entire 'drama' of the former turning down the post of Prime Minister.

Getting to know Natwar Singh

Born on May 16, 1931 in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, He attended the Mayo College and Scindia School in Gwalior. Further studies continued in St. Stephen's College, Delhi, followed by the Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. He was also a visiting scholar for a period at Peking University in China. He is married to Heminder Kaur, daughter of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala and sister of Amarinder Singh, who is the titular Maharaja of Patiala and former chief minister of Punjab.

His diplomatic career began with the Indian Foreign Service in 1953, where he served for 31 years. After a very successful stint here as India's representative to Executive Board of UNICEF and Prime Minister's Secretariat under Mrs Indira Gandhi, he resigned from IFS in 1984 and joined the Congress party and was elected to the 8th Lok Sabha from Bharatpur constituency in Rajasthan.

He was elected the minister of state in steel, coal and mines, and agriculture. In 1986, he became minister of state for external affairs. However, his stint as the minister of external affairs proved controversial. On October 27, 2005, while Singh was abroad on an official visit, the Independent Inquiry Committee headed by Paul Volcker released the report on its investigation of corruption in the Oil-for-Food program, naming him and the Congress party as the non-contractual beneficiaries.

He was forced to resign after that. He joined the BSP, but was expelled from the party due to differences. Following this, he retired from public life.

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