Natwar to be punished if guilty: Sonia

Breaking her silence over the controversial Volcker report, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said today that action will be taken against any individual found guilty in the inquiry report.

"Government will initiate action (against individuals). We can no longer look the other way when such things take place," she said in reply to questions on Volcker controversy at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.

Gandhi rejected charges that she was protecting former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wanted action against him immediately after the controversy broke out.

"This is not accurate at all... Natwar Singh has had a very close working relationship with me... If those documents are authentic, if anyone has indulged in such activities, I shall certainly not protect them and I shall not be by their side.'

The UPA chairperson said that she was "100 per cent" with the government to institute a judicial probe into the allegations to get to the bottom of the truth."I hope they do come out with the report in the shortest possible time. If there are individuals, who are innocent, well, it is good. If they are not innocent, well, action will be taken." Gandhi said that she was "extremely angry" at the allegation that somebody had used the party's name to make money and she was of the strong view that government should look into this issue.

On economic reforms, she said that the Congress was committed to it and there is no way it will go back on reforms. She, however, added that the party was now working in a coalition.

"There are some differences here and there, but there is a wide agenda for reforms in our common minimum programme to which we are all committed... We shall all follow it and not go back on it."

According to hindustantimes.com, she rubbished claims that there was any threat to UPA Government due to differences with the Left parties and added that there had been no serious issues between the two so far.

"Lot of it is exaggerated by media. After all, you have to be in business and we are the provider of business," she said

"And yes, there are problems as there were in previous coalitions. We have 14 partners, but until now we have not faced a serious problem through which one could get an impression that things are not stable."