QUESTIONING VOLCKER: Emerging after a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh said that the references made to his name in the Volcker report were unsubstantiated.

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Sunday night appointed former diplomat Virendra Dayal as "special envoy'' to liaise with the United Nations to "gather relevant materials including those on the unverified references in the [Volcker] Report regarding the involvement of Indian entities and individuals.'' A separate judicial probe will be announced on Monday.

This was announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's media adviser Sanjaya Baru, who said the "special envoy'' would be granted full power and authority of the Government to "execute the responsibilities entrusted to him.'' Mr. Dayal's appointment will be for an initial term of three months or till completion of his task "whichever is earlier.''

For the greater part of the day, the senior leadership of the Government and the Congress was busy giving final touches to the "probe" to be instituted in the matter of the Volcker Report, which had named External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and the Congress as "non-contractual" beneficiaries in the United Nations oil-for-food programme in Iraq.

By evening it appeared that the Government's desire to have a former Chief Justice of India (CJI) head the probe had run into a minor hitch, with not many retired CJIs available. One former CJI, when approached, cited "health reasons" to decline the assignment.

On Sunday morning the "core group" — the Prime Minister, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, and Political Secretary to the Congress president Ahmed Patel — met at Dr. Manmohan Singh's residence. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Union Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj were special invitees.

The group finalised, what one participant described as, the "polite letter" that the Congress would be sending to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan.

The letter would stress that the Congress had to be treated differently than individuals named in the Volcker Report and that it would be grateful to know on what basis or evidence its name got mentioned among the "non-contractual beneficiaries." The party leadership wants its name to be cleared of any charge.

The second item before the group was firming up the "probe" into the allegations contained in the report against the External Affairs Minister. After a detailed and minute reading of the voluminous report the assessment is that there were too many `matching' details for anybody's comfort.

Organisations and individuals' names were `misused' and it was imperative that the matter be probed thoroughly and credibly. It was decided that the probe team should be empowered to travel abroad or question any official, past or present.

Natwar meets Manmohan

Soon after the group finished its work, Mr. Natwar Singh had a meeting with the Prime Minister and the National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan. After his interaction at the Prime Minister's residence, the Foreign Minister came out with a written statement which he read out to the media. According to Mr. Singh, the Volcker Report and the "unsubstantiated references" were discussed, besides "pressing foreign policy matters."

Jogi defends Natwar

Congress MP and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi came out in defence of Mr. Natwar Singh, questioning the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) moral authority in demanding his resignation. Drawing attention to the track record of the NDA and BJP on such issues, he said the Volcker Report should be seen in the backdrop of India's friendly relations with Iraq, particularly the Baath Party.

Mr. Jogi said he was most concerned about the allegations made against the Congress. He said it was preposterous for anyone to suggest that the Congress purchased and sold oil, and took commission. "We challenge Mr. Volcker to produce even an iota of evidence.''

Also, he questioned the BJP's claim to `swadeshi' and wondered how a party which talks of "national pride'' could depend on a "so-called foreign enquiry conducted by a foreigner."

"If the BJP has any national pride, they should not take the support of an enquiry trashed by most self-respecting nations," Mr. Jogi said.

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, in an interview to NDTV, cautioned the Congress against sending a legal notice to the United Nations. Of the view that there was nothing wrong in pursuing such a line if the Congress was sure of itself, the Agriculture Minister said such a strategy could well boomerang.

Earlier in the day, NCP spokesman D.N. Tripathi had dismissed the Opposition demand for Mr. Natwar Singh's resignation on the premise that mere mention of name was no evidence of his involvement.

Will not resign

PTI reports:

Mr. Singh ruled out his resignation from the Cabinet, saying he was not guilty and he had the backing of a whole lot of people in the Congress.

"The question does not arise [of resignation]. I am doing a good job. I told the Prime Minister what am I accused of," he told reporters after the official announcement about the appointment of Virendra Dayal.

"I am not guilty of anything. Vindication does not arise," he said.

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