NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday termed as a "necessary step" the appointment of Justice R.S. Pathak to look into the issues arising out of the Volcker Committee report and of Virendra Dayal to collect facts and information regarding the references to India in it.

The Polit Bureau said the party had wanted an inquiry into the Volcker Committee findings to ascertain the facts after going through the evidence. The inquiry, it said, should unravel the truth behind the naming of the Congress party and Natwar Singh in the annexure of the report as being non-contractual beneficiaries.

"The Volcker Committee report cannot be taken as final and conclusive. The Committee was set up under the pressure of vicious attacks by the rightwing circles in the United States against the United Nations for undertaking the Oil-for-Food programme in Iraq. These circumstances must be kept in mind, when considering the Volcker Committee's report," it said.

Amar Singh welcomes probe

The Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh welcomed the Centre's decision to open an inquiry, headed by Justice Pathak, into the Volcker Committee findings.

Talking to presspersons after meeting the Prime Minister, he also lauded the decision of Union Minister Natwar Singh to give up the charge of External Affairs while the matter was probed.

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