Cong suspends Natwar

The Congress today decided to suspend former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh from the party and to issue him a show cause notice for indiscipline.

The Congress Disciplinary Action Committee took the decision in a late night meeting on today.

The party has asked Natwar to explain the breach of privilege notice he has given in the Rajya Sabha against the prime minister.

Natwar has also been asked to explain the contents of the three letters that he had written on behalf of the Congress party to the Iraqi regime, introducing Andaleeb Sehgal and his company. These letters were one of the crucial evidence collected by the Pathak panel to indict Natwar.

That the Congress leadership was not in a forgiving mood any more had become clear from party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi's strong statements about Natwar Singh at a press briefing earlier today.

The party was taking "extremely serious note" of Natwar's "utterances, statements and letters" written by him supposedly on behalf of the party (recommending Andaleeb Sehgal to Iraqi regime).

"It does not appear that Mr Natwar Singh was acting in national interest while writing those letters," quipped the Congress spokesman.

He said the party would take a "holistic perspective" about his ommissions and commissions and an appropriate process and mechanism had already been set in motion.