Volcker & Bofors - Congress Party involvement

12-05-2005, 12:53 AM

QUOTESwathed in blankets, Matherani whisked away
Pioneer.com
Pramod Kumar Singh/ New Delhi
Where is Aniel Matherani? This is one question the central agencies have refused to answer ever since an Austrian Air flight with Mr Matherani on board touched down at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport at 10.40pm on Friday.Â Â

As Mr Matherani alighted from the aircraft, he was whisked away to an undisclosed place by some central agencies and their undercover operatives who were waiting for him at the tarmac. This was an obvious move by the Centre to keep him away from the prying eyes of the media.

Eyewitnesses at the airport said that the way Mr Matherani was taken into custody by unknown elements had the stamp of a clock-and-dagger mafia operation. He was swathed in blankets and forced into a car escorted by tough-looking guys. But the drama had just begun. Officers of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), a wing of Intelligence Bureau (IB) who were waiting for Mr Matherani at the airport went wild when they discovered that he had not crossed the immigration check. It took some time for them to realise that their 'bird' had been flown away.

Reports said that 'unidentified' officials first took Mr Matherani to a place in South Delhi. He was reportedly asked to clarify certain issues raised by the ED officials after which another central agency took over.

There were considerable speculations that Mr Matherani was under pressure to retract his controversial interview in which he had claimed that the Saddam regime had issued oil vouchers to Natwar Singh and the Congress Party. Reports said that the Enforcement Directorate was interrogating Mr Matherani, but there was no official confirmation about this.

Late at night, NDTV issued a statement purportedly quoting Mr Matherani that he was not speaking to the media because of "malicious violation of his privacy." He blamed a news magazine (India Today) and a TV channel (Aaj Tak) for distorting an off-the record conversation and putting it as an interview.

Group Editor India Today Prabhu Chawla, however, denied the charges and said Mr Matherani was fully aware that he was giving an interview that was going to be published.

The NDTV also quoted Mr Matherani as saying that he was keeping away from the media because a formal investigation was underway. The TV channel also added to the mystery about Mr Matherani's whereabouts by attributing to his family the information that Mr Matherani had not been quizzed by the ED.

However, it was not clear from where Mr Matherani was issuing this statement and why he was not surfacing-even if he was not going to speak to media--- to clarify where he was taken from the airport and where he was now.

Sources in the ED said Mr Matherani was not in their care. "Matherani is not in Delhi. He has been kept at an undisclosed destination in another city and is being questioned for his sensational revelations against Mr Natwar Singh and his son, Jagat Singh. The agencies are also trying to probe his mind whether he was "privy to more information linking Congress Party in the award of oil coupons by the Saddam Hussain regime," top sources told The Pioneer.

The treatment meted out to Mr Matherani, who was till yesterday India's ambassador to Croatia enjoying various types of immunity, has given fresh ammunition to the Opposition to attack the UPA Government.

"It is getting curiouser and curiouser. We are going to demand all the facts from the Government. We want Matherani to be produced before the nation," BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley told The Pioneer.

At a meeting of top BJP leaders at the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee here this evening, it was decided to aggressively raise the issue in both Houses of Parliament, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman VK Malhotra said.

The meeting condemned the Government for "whisking away" Mr Matherani from the Delhi airport and alleged that attempts were being made to make him give a statement convenient to the Government.

Mr Matherani's interrogation is bound to raise several questions. The ED did not question him when his name first figured in connection with the Volcker Report last month while he was in Delhi. The timing of his interrogation ---immediately after he made his damning disclosure against Mr Natwar Singh and confirmed that oil vouchers were also issued to the Congress---is significant.

Incidentally, the ED has so far not questioned Mr Natwar Singh and his son, both of whom were accused of wheeling-dealing by Mr Matherani. The Government's action appeared more like crucifying the whistle-blower and letting the accused go free. 

Sources said that the decision to question Mr Matherani was arrived at a meeting held in the Prime Minister's office on Friday when a Union Minister cautioned the Government about the collateral damages, which Mr Matherani could cause if he was allowed to interact with the media.


They all are trying to save Queen Sonia.

12-05-2005, 04:53 AM

Natwar removed from Congress Steering CommitteeQUOTEThe decision was taken at a meeting of the Steering Committee presided over by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, close on the heels of Singh's statement flatly rejecting the demand for his resignation in the wake of fresh allegations regarding the Volcker Committee report on the scam.
............
"In view of the developments over the last few days, the Steering Committee felt that on grounds of propriety the continuance of Shri Natwar Singh as a member of the Steering Committee at this stage has become untenable and therefore resolved unanimously that Shri Natwar Singh be removed from the Steering Committee."

Hahah!! Queen is trying everything to save herself. <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

12-05-2005, 10:07 PM

Angry Natwar to take action against MatheraniQUOTE"Natwar Singh is consulting lawyers and is seriously exploring legal options to file a libel case against Matherani," an aide to former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh said.

"He (Matherani) has inflicted tremendous damage to the reputation of Natwar Singh. Although Matherani (former Indian ambassador to Croatia) had since denied his remarks, the damage has been done," he added.

"He (Natwar Singh) is so outraged that the man whom he helped so much in various ways has now turned against him," the aide, who is privy to Natwar Singh's strategy sessions to counter the political storm over his suspected involvement in the illegal Iraqi oil sales, said.

He, however, refused to comment on whether Natwar Singh, now a minister without portfolio, was planning to take legal action against the news magazine that published the "conversation" with Matherani and triggered the latest controversy.
............


Now Nutwar wants return favor from Matherani. Congress is trying very hard to keep this corruption or traitorâs episode focused only on Nutwar not on Queen Sonia.

12-05-2005, 10:15 PM

Sonia Volcker-gate: decimation of the Congress Party and putting nation's foreign policy on sale

Section 1. All President's men, Volcker-Antonia, financial crimes and national security

This has all the makings of a best-seller and a gripping movie from Bollywood involving princely families, Italian and Swiss companies, international wheeler-dealers and high stakes in geopolitics. But the tragedy is that, apart from glaring indications of criminal wrong-doing which the criminal justice system of India should deal with in due course, the nation's financial security and foreign policy has been compromised by the transformation of the Congress Party under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi (aka Antonia Maino) into a multi-national trading enterprise.

What has happened with all the money acquired? Business expansion and diversification. Sources alleged that just after the deal, Jagat Singh began making several investments, like in the liquor business in Punjab. What was formerly Masefield Coal became Pragma Energy SA of Italy with an office in Madras (Chennai); ENEL.IT obtained 51% share in Pragma Energy SA, in June 2001. (Kapital CHF 4 million).

Sonia Gandhi (aka Antonia Maino) was not alone in the Volcker-Congress Party scandal which is developing into a criminal case. She was the sutradhari who (1) initiated the transaction with the first conversations with former Iraqi vice-president Taha Ramadan who visited India on November 27, 2000, and Natwar Singh accompanied Congress president Sonia Gandhi to the meeting with him. After this there was talk that during the delegation's visit, the oil minister met Natwar separately; (2) approved the travel of a Congress Party delegation led by Natwar Singh whose travel costs were borne by the Congress Party; and (3) also wrote a letter to Saddam Hussain which was delivered by Natwar Singh. Now, Congress Party is named as a non-contracting beneficiary of oil voucher coupons. The initition of deal and involvement through the entire transaction are continuous and complete.

Fifty-three years ago, in 1952, when I attended Jawaharlal Nehru's election meeting in Penukonda, for the first general elections of the Republic of India, I had the feeling, as an 8th grade student, that he represented a Congress Party which actively participated in the freedom struggle inspired by stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Aurobindo Ghose and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. There was an aura about the Party which fought against the foreign colonial regime and asked for swarajyam. Is Republic of Bharat (Bharatiya Ganatantra) now being subjected to loot through means other than colonization?

Today, after fifty-three years, if these great leaders return to Bharatam, they wouldn't be able to recognize the Congress Party.

It is no longer a Party working for the people and for governance in swarajyam. It has been led into abyss by a lady called Antonia Maino (aka Sonia Gandhi) transforming the Party into a multi-national business enterprise and putting the nation's foreign policy for sale in foreign exchange currency (US Dollars).

Nation's foreign policy, nation's financial integrity, nation's security has been seriously compromised by a Congress Party led by Antonia Maino.

This should be a cause for deep concern not merely to those who are members of this political party but to all bharatiya who believe that they have achieved swarajyam and can live with swaabhimaan in this great, free nation. How could the Party compromise the nation's independent foreign policy for the sake of the crumbs offered by a foreign state? Thus the key issues are NOT whether Volcker's report is tainted, whether the UN oil-for-food programme is tainted, or whether there is the hand of the big super-cop behind all this. The issue is: has the Congress Party transformed itself into a foreign-policy dealer and oil-dealer through a set of smart operatives? Talks about Natwar Singh are mere diversions, making him a scapegoat to protect, from charges of criminal misdemeanor, some other entity, namely the Congress Party.

This is a special case of corruption; normally corruption cases point to speed-moneys for achieving favourable decisions on contracts. In this Volcker-Antonia case, the corruption case places the nation's foreign policy on the trading table.

The company she keeps also constitutes a national security risk. The support taken by the Congress Party from CPI-M which is trying to shield Sonia Gandhi from the Volcker charges of financial impropriety, is ominous since the functionaries of this Party travel for guidance to China, giving the impressions that their loyalties are trans-national. In a nation governed by laws, long arm of criminal justice system should reach out,apprehend and bring to book, the financial criminals who have violated the laws of the land. (Criminal breach of trust, corruption, violation of Foreign Currency Management Act and Foreign Currencies Regulation Act).

This reads like a big-business spy thriller. Since the polity in Bharatam has been substantially criminalized, many law-makers will comprehend, with ease, the impressive nature of the operations masterminded by the Congress Party. A detailed dossier is attached with references and URLs which will call for very careful reading to unravel the Congress Party as an efficient and also effective business enterprise. (Efficient, because of the clock-like precisions of the delegation work; effective because Masefield AG did lift the oil using a Letter of Credit of M/s Vitol Financers (with an office in Mumbai) to enable Masefield Holding Company to lift the oil. Masefield holding lifts the oil. Natwar Singh and Congress Party get the oil voucher coupons as non-contracting beneficiaries.)

Congress Party parades itself as peoples' party and Sonia Gandhi is the President of the Party. Citizens of India, that is Bharat, are entitled to ask for public accountability of both the Party and the President of the Party.

Congress Party is an old Party and naturally has a number of collaborators. Hence, this account will drop a series of names with very impressive business acumen. After all, the oil-for-food programme was not about giving food to Iraqi people but about making business contracts happen. The remarkable part of the account which has been pieced together from an array of sources is that Congress Party has proved its credentials as a business concern with impressive credentials of and services provided by the operatives.

Sonia Gandhi (aka Antonia Maino) reported that she was extremely angry. Naturally. She had unleashed a train of events which show the workings of Congress Party as a money-making (preferably greenbacks) entity with business people with impeccable track records for effective delivery of contracts (and money). But, why was she 'extremely' angry? Was there any choking up of the oil-for-food (also known as greenbacks non-contractual beneficiaty) pipeline?

Jamil Saidi who was with Rajasthan Youth Congress has now been threatened with dire consequences: Jamil Saidi denied that he was in Baghdad. "I met them in Jordan and that's about it. Some people are trying to fix me. I have been threatened with dire consequences," he told India Today. Saidi says Andaleeb Sehgal wanted him to rope in an MNC instead of Masefield. Andaleeb Sehgal counters blaming Jamil Saidi, saying that given the kind of resources and contacts Jamil had in Iraq, he could have used the Hamdan letterhead. "I have travelled to Iraq many times. I was there during the oil-for-food programme. I was a consultant with several companies," Jamil Saidi said. Jamil Saidi met Andaleeb Sehgal in Jordan and had also met Jagat Singh. (Aniel Matheran reported that he spotted Jamil Saidi in the lobby of the same Ba'athist Party (Al Rashid) hotel where the Natwar Singh led Congress Party delegation was staying). He has reportedly confirmed, however, that the Swiss Masefield AG was used by Mr Sehgal and Mr Jagat Singh as he had been told by the former that he would be picking up the oil through a British company.

Section 2. It is all in the family, Congress Party is a big family, a big kulam

There is a remarkable Kashmiri connection through the likes of Vikas Dhar and Bhim Singh of Panthers' Party (which was also named in Volcker papers as a non-contractual beneficiary of oil voucher coupons). The Kashmir link comes through the Dhar kulam.

Andaleeb Sehgal apparently introduced to Masefield AG, reported contractor for Natwar and the Congress, by an Indian company linked to a big arms dealer. Andaleeb is said to have an account in Jordan Bank. He has allegedly been trying to get the account records destroyed. Hamdan Exports is run by Andaleeb Sehgal and Vikash Dhar. Vikash's brother Vishal Dhar owns Vinayak Consultant. CBI had registered a case against Hamdan Exports and Vinayak Consultant in 2000 for setting up an illegal phone exchange and making several foreign calls during 2000-01, the period Andaleeb and his company was getting into the UN-sanctioned oil-for-food programme.

Andaleeb launched the Hamdan Exports with schoolmate Vikas Dhar, son of Vijay Dhar, a businessman from Srinagar. Vijay is the son of DP Dhar. Vikas Dhar, who happens to be the grandson of D P Dhar, a close friend and Principal advisor to Indira Gandhi. Andy later married Suhani Kumari of Nalagarh who is also Jagat's cousin. Suhani's father, Vijendra Singh has been a Congress old timer and was also elected MLA from Nalagarh many times.

Andaleeb Sehgal, 35, paid kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, says Volcker Report. Sehgal, son of Delhi businessman Suman Sehgal, studied at Lawrence School, Sanawar, and St Stephen's College, Delhi. He married Suhani Kumari, daughter of Vijendra and Raymon Singh. Vijendra's mother was the princess of Patiala and is the aunt of Natwar Singh's wife. Vijendra has been a Congress MLA from Nalagarh.

Asad Khan, is alleged to have played a crucial role in the entire scam. He is suspected to have even used Hamdan Exports' visiting card during his travels with Andaleeb to Iraq. Asad is said to be a close friend of Andaleeb, Jagat and Vikas Dhar, partner in Hamdan Exports. Andaleeb confirmed that Asad is a friend, but denied any business links with him. He refused further comment, citing the ongoing investigations. Tehelka's calls and smses to Asad didn't elicit any response.

The Congress party purchased tickets for the four-member delegation (Natwar Singh, Jagat Singh, AR Antulay and Shivshankar) on the Royal Jordanian Airlines and gifts were also purchased. A letter was drafted on behalf of the Congress president by Natwar for Saddam Hussein.

Natwar Singh led the delegation to Iraq in January 2001 (with four congress party representatives â AR Antulay, Shivshankar, Mathrani, Subodh Kant Sahay and two of his relatives: his son Jagat Singh; Jagat Singh's cousin, Andaleeb Sehgal of Hamdan Exports, a company in Amman, Jordan). [Note that Arvind Khanna is also a cousin of Jagat Singh.] By a remarkable coincidence, Jalil Saidi

Jagat Singh, is a Congress MLA from Lachmangarh in Alwar district. Sources alleged that just after the deal, Jagat Singh began making several investments, like in the liquor business in Punjab. Jagat Singh, 36, is the son of Natwar Singh, whose father was a high-ranking official of the Bharatpur royal family. Jagat went to Doon School and later went to the United Kingdom to pursue higher studies. Jagat married Natasha, whose father was a Jordanian and mother an Indian. Natasha committed suicide in 2002. Her father was later found dead under mysterious circumstances at a Kathmandu hotel. Jagat's mother is the elder sister of Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh.

Ahmed Patel, was Congress Treasurer at the time of the Iraq Oil-For-Food Programme.

Union Minister of State for Food Processing (Independent charge) is Subodh Kant Sahay. ED raided a company believed to be close to Sahay. Subodh Kant Sahay, who was also going to Iraq, was present during the reception hosted by the then Indian Ambassador to Jordan. He hung around us and wanted to be a part of the delegation. Jagat Singh and Andaleeb Sehgal were also present during the reception. (However, Sahay told India Today that he had nothing to do with the oil vouches and never wanted to get on board the Congress delegation.) As of Dec. 2001, Sahay was an AICC Secretary and was actively involved in election campaigns of the Congress Party. Sahay was fighting for election to the Lok Sabha from Punjab, a State where he had played a key role in covert dialogue with Khalistan terrorists.

UP Congress President, Salman Khursheed is believed to have been close to Jamil Ajmal Saidi, an oil trader who was grilled for many hours by ed officials.

Vipin Khanna is an arms dealer. Vipin Khanna runs a company called TSL Defence Technologies. He is very close to Natwar Singh. When the Prime Minister of Luxembourg called on Sonia Gandhi in 1999-2000, Natwar brought Vipin Khanna to 10 Janpath. This guy need not have been present at that meeting as he was honorary consul-general, not an ambassador.

His sons are: Arvind Khanna (cousin of Jagat Singh who is son of Natwar Singh), and Aditya Khanna. Arvind Khanna is Congress MLA from Sangroor in Punjab. Aditya Khanna is a London-based businessman. Aditya Khanna is Managing Director of DSSI Group and is an expert on offshore out-sourcing. DSSI Group, a New Delhi, India-based company specialising in helping companies establish a presence in India . Aditya Khanna was a key speaker on June 2, 2003 in a dinner by invitation (with limited seats) in the Tamarind Restaurant of London, organized to discuss: "Offshore Outsourcing in India "Next Generation" Approaches". Tamarind is London 's Michelin-star rated Indian restaurant.

Jamil Saidi is now an oil exploration consultant. He was a general secretary in the Rajasthan Youth Congress. Saidi's main associate in the youth wing was Natwar Singh's son Jagat Singh. Jamil Saidi acted as consultant to several companies that were part of the oil-for-food programme in Iraq. "I have travelled to Iraq many times. I was there during the oil-for-food programme. I was a consultant with several companies," he said.

Investigating agencies know that:

QUOTEÂ Â * Saidi was in Jordan at the same time as Jagat Singh and Andaleeb Sehgal.
Â Â * Andaleeb is said to have an account in Jordan Bank.
Â Â * He has allegedly been trying to get the account records destroyed.
Â Â * Andaleeb was apparently introduced to Masefield AG, reported contractor for Natwar and the Congress, by an Indian company linked to a big arms dealer. 

A report in International Herald Tribune said that Jamil Saidi is certain of Natwar Singh's role which resulted in oil voucher coupons not only in the name of Natwar Singh but also in the name of Congress Party. This confirms Aniel Mathrani's statement: He said that "one was given to him (Natwar Singh) by name" for his "personal services" and the other "the Iraqis kept for the friendly Congress Party." According to the Volcker report, Masefield AG lifted 1.936 million barrels out of the four million that were allotted to it. The report adds that in Phase 10 of the oil-for-food programme, Masefield AG lifted 1.001 million barrels out of the four million barrels allotted to the Congress party.

In a remarkable finale, Masfield Coal becomes Prima Energy of Italy and another Italian company ENEL.IT acquires 51% stake in Prima Energy SA of Italy. Jagat Singh acquires more liquor businesses.

The Italian connection gets solidified with the Swiss connection and oil-for-food. In this narrative, the food for the Iraqi people doesn't seem to have been anyone's concern, not even that of Saddam Hussein, not even that of the philanthropic United Nations or of pro-people United States of America, the only super-cop of the world. It is after all whose money? The moneys which should have been credited into the Consolidated Fund of India or the Bharatiya kos's or Indian Treasury.

[Note: It has not been easy piecing together the narrative since the year 2000, authenticating each sentence and each piece of evidence. The pseudo-secular media, the mainstream dailies, in particular have failed in their responsibility to unravel what has turned out to be the greatest scandal of independent Bharatam. The threading together has been done based on excellent reports through second and third-rung media. These resources are presented in the annexed document.] 

{PM me if anyone needs this document}

12-05-2005, 11:05 PM

QUOTESonia Volcker-gate: decimation of the Congress Party and putting nation's foreign policy on sale

wow!!
Very detailed report which clears lot of hidden links. Lets see how long they can hide and how long p-secular media shows Uma as headline and hide Sonia-oil-gate.

12-06-2005, 01:20 AM

Natwar Singh offers to resign QUOTEOn a day marked by hectic developments, Natwar met Sonia Gandhi late in the night to convey to the Congress chief that his decision to resign was inspired by his commitment to save the party from further embarrassment. In the same breath, the veteran leader insisted that his âconscienceâ was clear.

Natwar told Sonia that he would quit once the PM returns from Moscow on Wednesday. He said he did not want a rampaging opposition to corner the party any more. âI have taken the decision in the larger interests of the Congress,â he reportedly told Sonia.
......

What a great service he is doing by offering resignation after all pressure? <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />
Queen is saved or not ????

12-06-2005, 01:41 AM

QUOTEÂ
'Congress ka lafda hai, woh toh bakra hai' 
Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi
Sensing that the Congress was about to throw Natwar Singh to the wolves to save its skin, the Opposition on Monday shed tears for the Minister-without-portfolio and indicated that from now they would target party president Sonia Gandhi on the Volcker front.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani gave a clear indication of the change in the Opposition tactics in Mumbaiya Hindi when he said: "Congress ka lafda hai, Natwar toh bakra hai,"(The Congress is the main culprit, Natwar Singh is the sacrificial lamb).

The BJP's campaign against the Congress president was supported by Samajwadi Party with its general secretary Amar Singh asking, "Tel ke khel ka kaptan kaun hai," (Who was the captain of the oil game).

"Mr Natwar Singh should not be made a 'scapegoat' like Madhavsingh Solanki, who had delivered a letter in the Bofors case and later forced to resign," Mr Amar Singh told reporters here.

At another Press conference, Mr Advani alleged that Natwar Singh was being made a scapegoat by the Congress to "save its skin" in the Iraq oil deals. He demanded that the ruling coalition apply the same yardstick and remove Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the National Advisory Council since the Volcker Report also listed the Congress party as a beneficiary of the Iraq oil scam.

Saying that he saw an uncanny similarity in the present situation and the run up to Emergency when all democratic norms were thrown to the winds to save the Indira Gandhi regime, Mr Advani said, "The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was not allowed to speak. A blanket is put around the Indian Ambassador to Croatia and he is whisked away on returning to the country reminding one of the midnight knocks during the Emergency."

According to him, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's latest statement that he would consider if Natwar Singh offered to resign further darkened the cloud of suspicion on the role of the Congress Party in the Iraq oil scam. "The Minister and his family are repeatedly saying don't make us scapegoats. It seems obvious that the present mood in the ruling establishment is that if blame is put on one person, the party may perhaps be able to get out of it," he said.

The Leader of Opposition termed the Winter Session of Parliament as a "single scam session" and claimed that "the oil scam is getting murkier and murkier with every passing day. Correspondingly for the Government, the situation is becoming more and more slippery. There is a sinking feeling". Mr Advani insisted that the Aneil Matherani episode had given "a new twist" to the episode by demolishing the ruling coalition's principal defence that the names listed in the Volcker Report were "unverified". "It is verification by an insider that there is substance in the allegations," he said, pointing out that Matherani, was one of the four persons sent by the party to Iraq and he was also secretary of the AICC Foreign Affairs Cell.

He said while the Congress' "displeasure" over him was understandable, the manner in which he was treated when he returned showed how the coalition was "messing up the whole thing." Mr Amar Singh directed his gun at the Congress president without mentioning her name. "The media has left no stone unturned in exposing Swiss company Masefield's role in the UN's oil-for-food scam, but it has remained silent on the role of Italian company Qunta. It's role, too, should be probed," he said.

Mr Singh pointed out that Mr Matherani, could not have been appointed an Ambassador to Croatia, without the consent of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh.

"Then what Matherani said should be taken seriously," he said adding that the oil quota to Congress Party and Natwar Singh was allotted only after the visiting former Iraqi Vice-President met Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, alleging that Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Singh had "brought disgrace" to the country by their "stubbornness not to accept the truth" in the Volcker Report, JD(U) has demanded that both be relieved from their posts so that "credible" investigative and legal action could be taken. "First it was Natwar Singh. Now Sonia Gandhi has also become a part of the caravan of a large bunch of congenitally corrupt people who survive in public by lying," Mr Fernandes said.

12-06-2005, 01:49 AM

QUOTEto quit when PM returns 
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 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.

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. 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.

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? 

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.Â <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

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. 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. Sources told a news channel that once he quits Government, the party would rally round him.Â <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

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."

Warning the Government against indulging in "this kind of witch-hunting", Jagat almost appeared to be daring to take on the Congress establishment. <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' />

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
...............

12-06-2005, 04:55 AM

Other Con-gressi leaders must take notice of the humiliation that Natwar had to undergo despite being more loyal than anybody to Sonia Gandhi. This is how a senior leader is treated and virtually thrown out like a renter who does not pay the rent. All these years of loyal service to the "family" comes to naught when it is time to save Sonia.

12-06-2005, 11:48 AM

NDA to continue disrupting Parliament till Natwar resignsQUOTE"If the President can accept abroad the Cabinet's midnight recommendation for dissolving the Bihar Assembly and imposing President's rule, the Prime Minister can very well accept Natwar Singh's resignation," he said.Â <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clap.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='clap.gif' />

Malhotra said the NDA would also insist on Sonia Gandhi's resignation as Chairperson of the National Advisory Council.

"How can we allow smooth transaction of business in Parliament so long as these two people remain in office," he asked in response to a question whether NDA would stall proceedings.
..................

12-06-2005, 12:00 PM

QUOTEGurumurthy-- Natwar scares SoniaÂ Â Â Â
As she scares Manmohan and Natwar scares her...
Tuesday December 6 2005 00:00 IST

Constitutionally, Manmohan can even sack Natwar. But he cannot because it is not he, but, it is Sonia who made him minister. So it is only she who can sack him. Manmohan functions under Sonia, not under the Constitution. So he has to suffer Natwar, just as he suffers silently many others.

But why does Sonia, who has no constitutional or other constraints on her powers, not sack Natwar. Why? Is she also scared? Here is the clue. By taking the Mathrani issue to the gates of 10 Janpath, Jagat has already hinted at what Natwar might do if he were sacked! QED: Manmohan Singh cannot sack Natwar because he is scared of Sonia. And Sonia will not sack him because she is frightened of him. Natwar must be laughing at both from ear to ear despite all his troubles!

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S Gurumurthy

Aniel Mathrani is the latest entrant in the Iraq oil voucher fraud theatre. In his sensational interview to India Today,, which incidentally is voice recorded, he has confirmed three things.

One, Iraqis only needed a green signal for giving the oil vouchers to the Congress Party and Natwar provided it. Second, Natwarâs son Jagat Singh and Jagatâs cousin, Andaleep accompanied Natwar to Baghdad where they were looking for business. Third, Natwarâs action did imply to the Iraqi authorities that the two young men were part of Congress establishment which was enough for the Iraqis to part with the oil vouchers to them.

Mathrani does not stop at that. He asserts that Natwar Singh and Congress party were âone and the sameâ in the oil allocation list. He says it is âhogwashâ that Natwar and Congress did not know that their names figured in the allottees list. Mathraniâs later statements confirmed what he had told India Today. He charged that what he said âoff the recordâ had been âunethicallyâ used by the magazine. This damns the Congress and Natwar more, not less.

Who is this Mathrani? A Congressman, then in the foreign affairs cell of the party under Natwar; now the Indian Ambassador to Croatia - a job he has surely lost by stammering the truth off the record! He was in Baghdad and Amman along with Natwar in the year 2001.

Qualitatively, his testimony is a confession by a Congressman, also by a Manmohan government functionary. Even otherwise he was personally close to Natwar and was working under him. Thus he was an eye witness to the business transacted by Natwar, Jagat and Andaleep at Baghdad from where later they got oil vouchers and Amman where they paid kickbacks out of their gains to Saddam.

Mathrani is also cogent and meticulous in his assertions. He recalls every detail of the Baghdad and Amman episode. He also asserts that Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President, accompanied by Natwar, met the then Iraqi Vice President Ramadan at Delhi in November 27, 2000. This is from where the entire sequence started. The second step was the invitation from the Iraqi government to the Congress party addressed to Natwar. Then Sonia Gandhi sent a four-member Congress delegation in March 2001 as the third step which clinched the oil vouchers for the party. Mathrani confirms this.

Interestingly, Soniaâs meeting with the Iraqi Vice President seems to have given - or was it intended to so give? - the first indication to the Iraqi authorities that Natwar carried the weight of the Congress President. As if to confirm to the Iraqi regime that Natwar represented Sonia Gandhi, she also sent a letter to Saddam Hussein through Natwar.

Now one can understand why Mathrani says that Natwar and Congress were âone and the sameâ in the oil vouchers list. It is clear that Iraqis intended and gave the oil vouchers for the Congress Party. The only issue is whether Natwar and company pocketed them and cheated the party, or they faithfully passed them on and the party is sacrificing Natwar to save itself and its leader.

After Mathraniâs sensational exposure Jagat Singh came out with another claim that he was in the delegation as a member of the Youth Congress!

Within minutes of Jagatâs claim Surjewalla, the then Youth Congress President, denied that Jagat went as the Youth Congress general secretary! This brings in another interesting dimension. Jagat was the Youth Congress general secretary also, not just Natwarâs son, when he got the oil vouchers.

Still Manmohan Singh helplessly hangs to legalisms, asks the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate Mathrani! Simultaneously as External Affairs Minister he recalls Mathrani, obviously to coerce him as a witness!

Now look at the political realities. Constitutionally, Manmohan can even sack Natwar. But he cannot because it is not he, but, it is Sonia who made him minister. So it is only she who can sack him. Manmohan functions under Sonia, not under the Constitution. So he has to suffer Natwar, just as he suffers silently many others.

But why does Sonia, who has no constitutional or other constraints on her powers, not sack Natwar. Why? Is she also scared? Here is the clue. By taking the Mathrani issue to the gates of 10 Janpath, Jagat has already hinted at what Natwar might do if he were sacked! QED: Manmohan Singh cannot sack Natwar because he is scared of Sonia. And Sonia will not sack him because she is frightened of him. Natwar must be laughing at both from ear to ear despite all his troubles!

Writerâs email: comment@gurumurthy.net

12-06-2005, 12:55 PM

Imagine Natwar Singh's face and recall the hindi word for cockroach:

Tel-chatta (Oil-Licker) <!--emo& Wink

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' />

12-06-2005, 08:15 PM

Do these a$$h0les know the difference between a political party and a business entity? If Reliance does it, it is just business, if Congress does it, it is selling india's foreign policy.

QUOTE Oil payoffs: CPM flays Opp for not demanding probe against Reliance

Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi

The CPI-M on Monday attacked the BJP for its "failure" to demand probe into the "biggest" non-contractual beneficiary, Reliance, in the Iraqi oil payoffs.

"Why Reliance is not being inquired into and why the Opposition is blissfully unaware about the non-contractual benefits accruing to it," CPI-M leader Nilotpal Basu told mediapersons.

Mr Basu said the BJP was more concerned over the "disappearance" of Aniel Matherani on his return to India from Croatia but did not talk about millions of children who lost their lives in Iraq during the sanctions period.

He, along with party MPs Basudeb Acharia and Rupchand Pal, deplored the Opposition for creating an "impasse" in Parliament on the Volcker issue and said NDA's claim to treat statements of individuals as "final proof of guilt" was "not justified". "Stalling of the House will not help in any way," Mr Basu said.

On the question of Natwar Singh continuing in the Government, he said, "We are not demanding his resignation. It is for him or the Prime Minister to decide."

At the same time, he maintained, there was no difference with CPI on the issue and that there was no dearth of any floor co-ordination among the Left parties. "We were the first to demand an inquiry into the Volcker issue," he pointed out.

Referring to the repeated adjournments of both the Houses, Mr Basu said the Opposition appeared to be hell bent on not allowing Parliament to function.

12-06-2005, 10:34 PM

Finally, Natwar resigns from Union cabinetQUOTEMinister without portfolio K Natwar Singh resigned from the Union cabinet with immediate effect on Tuesday night after he met Congress President Sonia Gandhi for a second time in less than 24 hours

My thoughts on this issue

1) Sonia, Nutwar and Congress party used its status in India and negotiated deal with Iraq. So they all cheated India.
2) Sonia personally wrote letter to Saddam which was presented by Natwar to Saddam.
3) Natwar used this letter and cut half deal for his family, so he cheated India, Congress party and of course Sonia.
4) Natwar and Congress tried to influence India's foreign policy just to keep Saddam in good humor. It means they sold India's sovereignty in a very cheap deal. They are worse than Jaichand.
5) Now some of Congress worker are mad with him, how he is eating half of loot alone. They presented Ambassador of Corotia to Indian public with full drama.
6) Sonia is feeling betrayed or thinking how stupid she is, she could have used half for her own family. This time clever Natwar made fool of her. She is angry.

All are traitors and should be punished according to "secular" appeasement law;
Hang them with pole in football ground. At least they should honor Iraqi/Arabia way of life.

12-06-2005, 10:52 PM

I wonder what the deal was b/w Sonia and Natwar.

12-06-2005, 11:39 PM

I gotta tell ya these scums have no self respect whatsoever. For them, italian Sonia is queen.

For Natwar, the buck stopped at 10 Janpath

QUOTENavin Upadhyay/ New Delhi

The drama revolving around Natwar Singh's midnight visit to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the subsequent announcement by Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma that he was willing to quit the Union Cabinet has reinforced the impression that 10 Janpath calls the shots not only in running the party but also the UPA Government.

While Natwar Singh carried on being defiant after meeting the Prime Minister on Saturday and shouted from the rooftops that he refused to become the sacrificial lamb, he nevertheless surrendered to the dictate of Ms Sonia Gandhi like a lamb.

Sources said that Ms Gandhi had agreed to grant him a hearing only after Mr Singh promised to resign from the Cabinet. Sources said in his meeting with Ms Gandhi on Tuesday, Mr Natwar Singh discussed with her the draft of the resignation later, which he is to submit to Mr Manmohan Singh when the latter returns from Moscow on Wednesday. Clearly for him, the real boss was not the Prime Minister but the all-powerful party president.

The message was rammed home when Congress spokesman Anand Sharma and not the Prime Minister's media advisor Sanjaya Baru briefed the media about Mr Natwar Singh's decision. The claim that Mr Natwar Singh spoke to the Prime Minister and conveyed his decision to quit before his meeting with Ms Gandhi has a twist. If Mr Singh had indeed followed protocol and informed the Prime Minister of his decision to put in his papers hours before his meeting with Ms Gandhi, why was the matter not disclosed either by the party or the Government till the parley at Ms Gandhi's residence was over. Was there a deliberate attempt to create an impression that the buck stops at 10 Janpath?

It was Ms Gandhi who set the stage for Mr Natwar Singh's removal from the Cabinet on Monady night when she threw him out of the all-powerful Congress Steering Committee. By her one act, she scored many political points besides exposing the PMO's feeble-handed approach in dealing with Mr Natwar Singh and underlining her own firm handling of the situation. There was a clear message that a minister could defy the Prime Minister but not 10 Janpath.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister's decision to leave it to Mr Natwar Singh
to decide whether he want to opt for VRS or not, will be seen as an abdication of his responsibility to decide who should be a part of his Cabinet.

Weakest, spineless prime minister anyone???

In similar situations in the past, the PMO had acted firmly and conveyed to JMM (S) leader Sibu Soren and RJD's Jay Prakash Narian Yadav in clear terms that their continuation in the Council of Ministers had become untenable.

The development will clearly provide more armoury to the Opposition, which is clamouring for Ms Gandhi resignation from the post of chairperson of the National Advisory Council on the allegation of influencing Government policies and on-going probe on the Volcker Report.

12-06-2005, 11:42 PM

QUOTEI wonder what the deal was b/w Sonia and Natwar.
Natwar and his extended family took half of deal and must have told Sonia that they have struck deal with Saddam which was what Congress party got. Itâs very much possible Sonia may have got cut from Natwar. What so ever Sonia and her family upkeep are maintained by funds they get from all over world from all type of shady deals besides Indian tax money. At the end Sonia is benefited by both deals.
Shame on her and Congress party. <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' />

12-07-2005, 03:27 AM

QUOTEED team in Iraq to unearth or cover up? 
Pioneer.com
Pramod Kumar Singh/ New Delhi
Matherani, Sehgal quizzed together--- Amid the nationwide political upheaval over the Iraqi oil scam, a three-member Enforcement Directorate (ED) team led by Director Sudheer Nath left for Iraq on Tuesday to probe the allegations made by former Indian Ambassador to Croatia Aniel Matherani. But in their wake, they left behind a trail of unanswered questions.Â Â

Highly placed sources told The Pioneer that the ED Director would meet Iraqi Government officials to probe the role and the conduct of the Congress delegation that visited Iraq in 2001.

His brief is to ascertain whether there was any documentary evidence pointing towards the involvement of former external affairs minister Natwar Singh in receiving oil coupons from the Saddam regime.But whether the ED will get access to documents or the officials who were holding posts then is another question.

Another source claimed that the motive was to look for evidence that could be used to settle political scores with those running a relentless offensive against the UPA Government on the Volcker issue. Incidentally, the Left parties had demanded that the ongoing Pathak Inquiry Authority should also cover transactions under Iraq's oil-for-food programme, which took placed during the NDA regime.

The way the ED has conducted the whole probe has left a big question mark on the relevance of the Justice Pathak Authority and its jurisdiction. It was also not clear whether the UPA Government had completed the necessary diplomatic formalities and obtained the required go-ahead from the Iraqi authorities to allow ED access to the sensitive information it is looking for.

The ED's visit is also baffling because the Government had recently tom-tommed that its special envoy Virendra Dayal had returned with most documents which formed the basis of the Volcker Report.However, ED officials claimed that their team would look into the specific allegation of Mr Matherani that Natwar Singh was a direct beneficiary of the oil coupons. The ED team would also look into the business transactions of the 139 Indian companies, which benefited in the Oil-for-Food programme. Looking at all the diversionary tactics being employed, it seems an attempt is being made to expand the ambit of the probe and deflect attention from the political aspects.

Meanwhile, Mr Matherani was summoned a second day running by the ED brass for questioning and he was confronted by Andaleeb Sehgal, a relative of Natwar Singh. Sehgal who is the director of Hamdaan Exports has also been named as a "non-contractual beneficiary" of Iraq's oil-for-food programme in the Volcker Report. Mr Matherani had alleged that Mr Natwar Singh was involved in getting oil vouchers for his son Jagat and Sehgal. Mr Matherani was reportedly asked to quantify his allegations infront of Sehgal.

ED sources said that Sehgal was asked to provide certain documents pertaining to his business and foreign exchange transactions. He arrived at the directorate's office in Khan Market at about 10 am, while Mr Matherani came in 90 minutes later. ED officials quizzed Mr Matherani and Sehgal together to pick up discrepancies. They were also questioned on whether there was any illegal transaction of foreign exchange in connection with the UN oil-for-food programme. The Directorate officials had questioned Sehgal for several days about a month ago after the findings of the UN-appointed committee were made public. They are likely to question Mr Natwar Singh's son, Jagat, also in this connection.


Only I can say now
Gali Gali may shor hai Sonia Gandhi chor hai

12-07-2005, 05:54 AM

Regarding Matherani:

I guess the actual name is Mathrani(sindhi last name?). Is there any open source background information about this person. All we know is he works in the congress external affairs cell, close to Natwar and got Croatia appointment because of his closeness etc.

Is there any info like who is his father, who are his children, wife and where do they live etc.?

I tried googling and did not get any such background info. I see this guy is a scapegoat being found to save Sonia.

I followed the Bofors saga (exposed by Arun Shourie, N.Ram and Chitra S). Win Chadda was interrogated more than anyone else. Win chadda was just a point man in Bofors case.

I smell a similarity between chadda and Mathrani. Any information about this Mathrani is appreciated.

**shamu** · 12-07-2005, 06:23 AM

How do you think Congress was running when they were out of power for 6 years during NDA rule? <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

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