Natwar resigns, finally

Former minister to submit papers today after PM's return from Moscow

Former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh announced his resignation from the Union Cabinet late this evening. He will submit his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after his return from Moscow tomorrow afternoon.

About 24 hours after his late night meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday and a few hours after his second meeting with her today afternoon, the beleaguered minister told reporters that he has decided to resign as he did not want to be made an "excuse" for the Opposition to stall important legislative business in the parliament.

"I am completely innocent...I have not violated any law in letter or spirit," he said, adding that the interest of the party is above any individual.

After his meeting with the High Command yesterday, the Congress had announced that he had offered to resign to avoid any further embarrassment to the party due to the "malicious campaign" by the Opposition. Before meeting Gandhi he was reported to have telephoned the Prime Minister in Moscow and offered to resign.

Singh's announcement came after the Opposition parties refused to relent and stalled the proceedings in both Houses of the Parliament today even after it became public knowledge that the former external affairs minister had offered to resign. The Opposition demanded that he should submit his papers immediately.

The government has maintained that the references in Volcker report are "unverified" and therefore, there is no question of any action on the basis of the UN panel's findings. Any action would be taken on the basis of the reports of inquiries instituted by the government of India.

Crisis managers in the government were of the view that sacking the minister would tantamount to admission of guilt and will add teeth to the Opposition's campaign against Sonia Gandhi. The troubleshooters were, therefore, in favour of persuading Natwar Singh to step down voluntarily to deflate the Opposition's campaign over Volcker report.

Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma was today flooded with queries as to how Natwar Singh's case was different from the Congress and whether same yardstick should not be applied for both Singh and the Congress president. He maintained that Singh's case was different because it was a voluntary decision on his part..

The minister's offer to resign after the PM's return tomorrow, however, failed to mollify the Opposition parties today as they disrupted the proceedings in the Parliament demanding that he should resign immediately. They argued that the Cabinet's recommendation for dissolution of the Bihar Assembly had been accepted by the President when he was abroad.

Meanwhile, Enforcement Directorate officials today grilled Andaleep Sehgal, Hamdaan Exports director, and Aniel Matherani, Indian Ambassador to Croatia who was recalled, in connection with the alleged pay offs in the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq. A team of ED officials has also left for Iraq.