10-30-2006, 01:57 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Sonia plotted my downfall, claims Natwar
Pioneer.com
PTI | New Delhi
Close on the heels of Sonia Gandhi's attack on him in a television interview three days ago, former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh on Sunday hit back at the Congress president saying she was behind his recent problems with the Enforcement Directorate in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam and attacked her foreign origins.
<b>"Everything that the Government did against me was on Sonia's direction. I will not blame (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh," </b>he told Star News, a release issued by the channel said.
On its part, the Congress sought to dismiss Natwar Singh's outburst against party chief Sonia Gandhi and indicated that it would take its own time to hit back at the former External Affairs Minister.
"Natwar Singh's anger and frustration at the Volcker report and the legal proceedings is understandable. But that cannot be an excuse for intemperate or threatening remarks," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.
<b>Singh told the TV channel that he fears that he and his family might be jailed and harm can come to his family members including his grandson.</b>
He was apparently referring to the setting up of an inquiry authority to go into allegations against him and his son in the wake of their names figuring in the Volker report on the oil-for-food scam and the ED questioning them in this connection.
Reacting to Gandhi's accusation of her being betrayed by Singh, he said, "Betrayed is a strong word and according to Indian culture such words are not used for a person older than her 15 years." <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
He also said,<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> "Those who are born in Indian soil will only understand the country's ethos and culture. Others will not."</span> <!--emo&:o--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ohmy.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Singh quit as External Affairs Minister in November last year and was suspended by the Congress from its primary membership in August this year for bringing "disrepute" to the party.
<b>Singh asked, "Why don't they sack me from the party if I am guilty?"</b>
Making it clear that he will not take attacks on him lying down, <b>he said, "You see, I know a lot of things about the party and the leadership".
He was capable of creating trouble for the party and Gandhi, Singh said, adding he had many things up his sleeve. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
On the issue of his political career, Singh said, "I have many options which I will exercise when the time comes. But let the Congress leadership decide about me first."</b>
When asked if he is considering joining the Samajwadi Party, he said, "Many people are in touch with me."
On Gandhi's assertion that she had only "working relations" with him,<b> Singh pointed out that she had invited him and his wife to her daughter Priyanka's wedding in 1995.
"No other Congress leader except Sheila Dikshit was invited," he said to emphasise that his ties with the Nehru-Gandhi family were more than "working relations".</b>
Â
"I stood by her during (former Prime Minister) PV Narshima Rao's tenure," he said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Now Natwar is really getting Italian treatment. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Pioneer.com
PTI | New Delhi
Close on the heels of Sonia Gandhi's attack on him in a television interview three days ago, former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh on Sunday hit back at the Congress president saying she was behind his recent problems with the Enforcement Directorate in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam and attacked her foreign origins.
<b>"Everything that the Government did against me was on Sonia's direction. I will not blame (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh," </b>he told Star News, a release issued by the channel said.
On its part, the Congress sought to dismiss Natwar Singh's outburst against party chief Sonia Gandhi and indicated that it would take its own time to hit back at the former External Affairs Minister.
"Natwar Singh's anger and frustration at the Volcker report and the legal proceedings is understandable. But that cannot be an excuse for intemperate or threatening remarks," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.
<b>Singh told the TV channel that he fears that he and his family might be jailed and harm can come to his family members including his grandson.</b>
He was apparently referring to the setting up of an inquiry authority to go into allegations against him and his son in the wake of their names figuring in the Volker report on the oil-for-food scam and the ED questioning them in this connection.
Reacting to Gandhi's accusation of her being betrayed by Singh, he said, "Betrayed is a strong word and according to Indian culture such words are not used for a person older than her 15 years." <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> He also said,<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> "Those who are born in Indian soil will only understand the country's ethos and culture. Others will not."</span> <!--emo&:o--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ohmy.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Singh quit as External Affairs Minister in November last year and was suspended by the Congress from its primary membership in August this year for bringing "disrepute" to the party.
<b>Singh asked, "Why don't they sack me from the party if I am guilty?"</b>
Making it clear that he will not take attacks on him lying down, <b>he said, "You see, I know a lot of things about the party and the leadership".
He was capable of creating trouble for the party and Gandhi, Singh said, adding he had many things up his sleeve. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> On the issue of his political career, Singh said, "I have many options which I will exercise when the time comes. But let the Congress leadership decide about me first."</b>
When asked if he is considering joining the Samajwadi Party, he said, "Many people are in touch with me."
On Gandhi's assertion that she had only "working relations" with him,<b> Singh pointed out that she had invited him and his wife to her daughter Priyanka's wedding in 1995.
"No other Congress leader except Sheila Dikshit was invited," he said to emphasise that his ties with the Nehru-Gandhi family were more than "working relations".</b>
Â
"I stood by her during (former Prime Minister) PV Narshima Rao's tenure," he said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Now Natwar is really getting Italian treatment. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->