02-08-2007, 01:31 AM
Pioneer reports, 8 feb.,2007
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Cong in no hurry to expel Natwar
Yogesh Vajpeyi | New Delhi
<b>The Congress</b> on Wednesday expressed its umbrage at former External Minister Natwar Singh's latest attack on party president Sonia Gandhi but <b>appeared in no hurry to expel the suspended leader for his continued defiance.</b>
"We are not willing to oblige him," was the cryptic comment of party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi, when he was asked how long the leadership would tolerate the rebellious Congress leader who had been suspended from the party a year ago.
Addressing a seminar on 'India's Iraq Policy' at Lucknow in the presence of UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and other Samajwadi Party leaders, <b>Natwar Singh had alleged that action against him was " a conspiracy of the US in which Congress and the media were also involved." </b>
Without naming Sonia, he also had a dig at her foreign origin, saying, "This country has its own tradition exemplified in its music, drama, knowledge, and religion. But this facet could only be understood by one who was born here," he said.
<b>Stung by the remarks, Congress spokesman Singhvi as well as Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma on Wednesday launched a vitriolic attack on Natwar Singh. </b>Singhvi opened the party's regular press briefing with a scathing attack on Natwar Singh for his remarks about the Congress president and his accusation that the Prime Minister had dropped him under the US pressure.
<b>"In the backdrop of his tirade against the party and its foreign policy, it is for Natwar Singh to explain to the people why he is still in the Congress,"</b> Singhvi said.
<b>Anand Sharma reacted in a similar vein when he rubbished Natwar Singh's latest remarks in a separate interaction with media persons.
"Natwar Singh is a rank opportunist. He has never been a political leader. Whatever offices he occupied, it was because of Congress party, its president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," he said.</b>
Ironically, though the outraged Congress leaders used words like "rank opportunist" and "light weight" against Natwar Singh, they were not ready to commit on the party's future course of action.
"The matter is under consideration of the party's central disciplinary committee that will take appropriate action at appropriate time," was their common refrain.
<b>Sources said that the party is in no hurry to expel Natwar Singh as this would enable him to retain his Rajya Sabha seat as an unattached member. Instead, it would like him to leave the party on his own.</b>
<b>"If he is full of so much venom against the party and its leaders, why doesn't he quit," </b>asked an AICC functionary, <b>indicating that the party was waiting for Natwar's next step, which, it hopes, would be joining the Samajwadi Party.</b>
Asked to comment on Natwar's charge that the Prime Minister has compromised with India's foreign policy, Minister of State for External Affairs said there was "no departure or deviation. Any suggestion that India has compromised with its foreign policy is not correct".
Observing that the Volcker report into the Iraqi oil payoffs was discussed in both Houses of Parliament and the matter was before the court, he said the suspended leader should go to the court instead of sharing platform with the SP.
Both Singhvi and Sharma refuted the suggestion that that party was embarrassed by Singh's utterances. According to them it was Natwar Singh who was exposing and embarrassing himself as he had no political conviction or loyalty to the party.
On Natwar Singh's charge that Manmohan Singh and Gandhi had not uttered a word on the hanging of Saddam Hussein, who had always supported India in times of difficulty, Sharma said India did make a statement that was consistent with its foreign policy. "We disapprove of the charge," he said.
Asked whether the former Minister's remarks would have any electoral impart in the three States going to polls, <b>Sharma said, "Natwar Singh has never been a political leader. He is a light weight and irrelevant."</b>
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They are waiting for the UP elections to be over as expellinghim before that would create a bad situation for them. Recall Natwar Singh was welcomed by a large section of his community last year. Shows he has support atleast there. NS strategy is to make them expel him to sway the public and retain the RS seat. So he is not so unsavvy after all!
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Cong in no hurry to expel Natwar
Yogesh Vajpeyi | New Delhi
<b>The Congress</b> on Wednesday expressed its umbrage at former External Minister Natwar Singh's latest attack on party president Sonia Gandhi but <b>appeared in no hurry to expel the suspended leader for his continued defiance.</b>
"We are not willing to oblige him," was the cryptic comment of party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi, when he was asked how long the leadership would tolerate the rebellious Congress leader who had been suspended from the party a year ago.
Addressing a seminar on 'India's Iraq Policy' at Lucknow in the presence of UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and other Samajwadi Party leaders, <b>Natwar Singh had alleged that action against him was " a conspiracy of the US in which Congress and the media were also involved." </b>
Without naming Sonia, he also had a dig at her foreign origin, saying, "This country has its own tradition exemplified in its music, drama, knowledge, and religion. But this facet could only be understood by one who was born here," he said.
<b>Stung by the remarks, Congress spokesman Singhvi as well as Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma on Wednesday launched a vitriolic attack on Natwar Singh. </b>Singhvi opened the party's regular press briefing with a scathing attack on Natwar Singh for his remarks about the Congress president and his accusation that the Prime Minister had dropped him under the US pressure.
<b>"In the backdrop of his tirade against the party and its foreign policy, it is for Natwar Singh to explain to the people why he is still in the Congress,"</b> Singhvi said.
<b>Anand Sharma reacted in a similar vein when he rubbished Natwar Singh's latest remarks in a separate interaction with media persons.
"Natwar Singh is a rank opportunist. He has never been a political leader. Whatever offices he occupied, it was because of Congress party, its president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," he said.</b>
Ironically, though the outraged Congress leaders used words like "rank opportunist" and "light weight" against Natwar Singh, they were not ready to commit on the party's future course of action.
"The matter is under consideration of the party's central disciplinary committee that will take appropriate action at appropriate time," was their common refrain.
<b>Sources said that the party is in no hurry to expel Natwar Singh as this would enable him to retain his Rajya Sabha seat as an unattached member. Instead, it would like him to leave the party on his own.</b>
<b>"If he is full of so much venom against the party and its leaders, why doesn't he quit," </b>asked an AICC functionary, <b>indicating that the party was waiting for Natwar's next step, which, it hopes, would be joining the Samajwadi Party.</b>
Asked to comment on Natwar's charge that the Prime Minister has compromised with India's foreign policy, Minister of State for External Affairs said there was "no departure or deviation. Any suggestion that India has compromised with its foreign policy is not correct".
Observing that the Volcker report into the Iraqi oil payoffs was discussed in both Houses of Parliament and the matter was before the court, he said the suspended leader should go to the court instead of sharing platform with the SP.
Both Singhvi and Sharma refuted the suggestion that that party was embarrassed by Singh's utterances. According to them it was Natwar Singh who was exposing and embarrassing himself as he had no political conviction or loyalty to the party.
On Natwar Singh's charge that Manmohan Singh and Gandhi had not uttered a word on the hanging of Saddam Hussein, who had always supported India in times of difficulty, Sharma said India did make a statement that was consistent with its foreign policy. "We disapprove of the charge," he said.
Asked whether the former Minister's remarks would have any electoral impart in the three States going to polls, <b>Sharma said, "Natwar Singh has never been a political leader. He is a light weight and irrelevant."</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
They are waiting for the UP elections to be over as expellinghim before that would create a bad situation for them. Recall Natwar Singh was welcomed by a large section of his community last year. Shows he has support atleast there. NS strategy is to make them expel him to sway the public and retain the RS seat. So he is not so unsavvy after all!