12-06-2005, 01:49 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>to quit when PM returns </b>
Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi
Minister tells Sonia at late night meeting--- Natwar Singh has finally succumbed. The man who a few weeks ago had claimed he would NEVER resign from the Union Cabinet, late on Monday night agreed to put in his papers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his return from Russia. Â
Congress spokesman Anand Sharma announced after midnight Mr Natwar Singh's willingness to resign. In his brief statement, Mr Sharma tried to convey the impression that Mr Singh had decided to put in his papers after a detailed talk with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
<b>It was a different matter that Mr Sharma was briefing the media soon after Mr Singh departed from 10 Janpath and TV channels were already out with the news that Ms Sonia Gandhi had scored where the Prime Minster had failed.</b> That contrary to Mr Sharma's attempt to tell the media that Mr Singh had followed protocol in conveying his suo motu decision to resign firstly to the Prime Minister before he met with Sonia Gandhi will have few takers.
<b>If Mr Singh had indeed spoken to the Prime Minister nearly four hours before he spoke to Ms Gandhi why was the decision announced in Delhi after midnight and why was no member of the media contingent in Moscow aware of the development? </b>
<b>The TV reporters who reported the minute-to-minute developments from Moscow had no clue that Mr Manmohan Singh had agreed to accept the resignation of his former foreign minister till Congress sources leaked the story to the media.</b>Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>Incidentally, when Mr Jagdish Tytler had also resigned from the Union Council of Ministers, it was 10 Janpath which was first informed of his decision. </b>Sources said that in his letter of resignation to the Prime Minister, Mr Natwar Singh is likely to issue a statement giving a clean chit to the Congres Party in the Iraqi oil-for-food programme.
With Mr Natwar Singh out of the scene, the Opposition is likely to focus its attack on what it claims to be Ms Sonia Gandhi's role in the scandal.
At the meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr Natwar Singh is believed to have told her that he will resign when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from Russia. He also told Ms Gandhi that he had already spoken to the Prime Minister informing him of his decision.
Ms Sonia Gandhi is also said to have spoken to the Prime Minister before meeting Mr Natwar Singh.
The meeting between Mr Singh and Ms Gandhi at 10 Janpath lasted for an hour, after which the Union Minister left without talking to mediapersons. Mr Natwar Singh drove out of 10 Janpath close to midnight.
The Sonia Gandhi-Natwar Singh talks came after several Congress leaders and ministers made it clear to him to take a cue from his removal from the Steering Committee and resign from the Union Cabinet on his own.
An emotional Mr Natwar Singh, accompanied by his wife, is said to have carried his resignation letter with him when he visited his party chief. The question before the party was how to find an honourable exit for the senior minister.<b> Sources told a news channel that once he quits Government, the party would rally round him</b>. <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Earlier in the day, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said Mr Natwar Singh's continuance in the party's Steering Committee was "untenable" and his removal from the powerful body was a "clear message" which he should "understand".
However, Mr Natwar Singh maintained a defiant posture and ignored mounting pressure on him to quit, while his son, Jagat, struck a more belligerent note saying they "refused to be made scapegoats."
<b>Warning the Government against indulging in "this kind of witch-hunting", Jagat almost appeared to be daring to take on the Congress establishment.</b> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->
It was apparent that the son was waging a proxy battle for his father, whose compulsion as a Cabinet Minister was coming in the way of his being in the forefront of the battle the two are waging for their political survival.Â
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Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi
Minister tells Sonia at late night meeting--- Natwar Singh has finally succumbed. The man who a few weeks ago had claimed he would NEVER resign from the Union Cabinet, late on Monday night agreed to put in his papers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his return from Russia. Â
Congress spokesman Anand Sharma announced after midnight Mr Natwar Singh's willingness to resign. In his brief statement, Mr Sharma tried to convey the impression that Mr Singh had decided to put in his papers after a detailed talk with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
<b>It was a different matter that Mr Sharma was briefing the media soon after Mr Singh departed from 10 Janpath and TV channels were already out with the news that Ms Sonia Gandhi had scored where the Prime Minster had failed.</b> That contrary to Mr Sharma's attempt to tell the media that Mr Singh had followed protocol in conveying his suo motu decision to resign firstly to the Prime Minister before he met with Sonia Gandhi will have few takers.
<b>If Mr Singh had indeed spoken to the Prime Minister nearly four hours before he spoke to Ms Gandhi why was the decision announced in Delhi after midnight and why was no member of the media contingent in Moscow aware of the development? </b>
<b>The TV reporters who reported the minute-to-minute developments from Moscow had no clue that Mr Manmohan Singh had agreed to accept the resignation of his former foreign minister till Congress sources leaked the story to the media.</b>Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <b>Incidentally, when Mr Jagdish Tytler had also resigned from the Union Council of Ministers, it was 10 Janpath which was first informed of his decision. </b>Sources said that in his letter of resignation to the Prime Minister, Mr Natwar Singh is likely to issue a statement giving a clean chit to the Congres Party in the Iraqi oil-for-food programme.
With Mr Natwar Singh out of the scene, the Opposition is likely to focus its attack on what it claims to be Ms Sonia Gandhi's role in the scandal.
At the meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr Natwar Singh is believed to have told her that he will resign when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from Russia. He also told Ms Gandhi that he had already spoken to the Prime Minister informing him of his decision.
Ms Sonia Gandhi is also said to have spoken to the Prime Minister before meeting Mr Natwar Singh.
The meeting between Mr Singh and Ms Gandhi at 10 Janpath lasted for an hour, after which the Union Minister left without talking to mediapersons. Mr Natwar Singh drove out of 10 Janpath close to midnight.
The Sonia Gandhi-Natwar Singh talks came after several Congress leaders and ministers made it clear to him to take a cue from his removal from the Steering Committee and resign from the Union Cabinet on his own.
An emotional Mr Natwar Singh, accompanied by his wife, is said to have carried his resignation letter with him when he visited his party chief. The question before the party was how to find an honourable exit for the senior minister.<b> Sources told a news channel that once he quits Government, the party would rally round him</b>. <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Earlier in the day, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said Mr Natwar Singh's continuance in the party's Steering Committee was "untenable" and his removal from the powerful body was a "clear message" which he should "understand".
However, Mr Natwar Singh maintained a defiant posture and ignored mounting pressure on him to quit, while his son, Jagat, struck a more belligerent note saying they "refused to be made scapegoats."
<b>Warning the Government against indulging in "this kind of witch-hunting", Jagat almost appeared to be daring to take on the Congress establishment.</b> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->
It was apparent that the son was waging a proxy battle for his father, whose compulsion as a Cabinet Minister was coming in the way of his being in the forefront of the battle the two are waging for their political survival.Â
...............
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