Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Attempt at cover-up

Paul Volcker's findings, Aneil Mathrani's alleged statement that Natwar Singh was directly involved in getting oil coupons for his son Jagat Singh and his friend Andaleeb Sehgal, former Union Minister P. Shiv Shankar's confirmation and subsequent denial that the three were present during the meetings with Iraqi authorities in 2001, vehement denials by the father-son team, flip-flop by Jagat on the capacity in which he travelled, R.S. Surjewala's statement that he did not clear Jagat's visit, and detailed media reports show that there is much to cover up.

Everyone involved in the episode seems to be contradicting himself. It will be no surprise if all of them eventually deny knowing one another.

M.M. Kale,
Kakinada, A.P.

Mr. Singh should resign gracefully if he is innocent. He should clear himself of the charges against him and then come back as Minister. Can there be smoke without fire?

S.P. Sharma,
Mumbai

Mr. Mathrani's revelations and Jagat Singh's unassured manner of handling questions raised by the media add to the suspicion that something is amiss. It is time Mr. Singh, the Congress, the youth delegation that allegedly visited Iraq in 2001 and others told the nation what exactly transpired. Otherwise, the Opposition will continue to stall the proceedings in Parliament.

Jeyshree Jayaraman,
Coimbatore

The Volcker issue, phase II, is intriguing. That Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not able to secure the bare minimum — resignation of a Cabinet Minister charged with corruption — speaks volumes of the UPA Government's moral integrity.

Amaruvi Devanathan,
Chennai

At least after the latest revelations by Mr. Mathrani, one expected the Prime Minister to drop Mr. Natwar Singh. But his valiant defence of Mr. Singh and his refusal to show him the door clearly indicate that the Congress is buying time.

V. Venkata Subramanian,
Mumbai

The Opposition's demand for Mr. Natwar Singh's ouster is unjustified because a commission is already inquiring into the allegations against him.

Worse is its act of dragging Sonia Gandhi into the controversy. It is bereft of logic.

P. Joycy,
Hyderabad

Mr. Advani's demand for Ms. Gandhi's resignation as NAC chairperson is not convincing. The Government has assured Parliament that the guilty will be punished and a commission of inquiry is on the job of uncovering the truth.

Mr. Advani and his partymen will do well to participate in the proceedings of the House instead of disrupting it.

P.U. Jitesh,
Karnal, Haryana

The Congress is openly distancing itself from Mr. Singh ("Dropped from CWC," Dec. 5), evidently to avoid being sucked into the controversy. The party seems to have decided to make Mr. Singh a scapegoat.

If that happens, one will never get to know the whole truth. The BJP is also to blame for this.

R. Raveendran,
Nagercoil, T.N.

The Congress' latest move must have come as a shock to the Minister who has been fiercely loyal to the first family.

K.R.P. Gupta,
Mumbai

Mr. Mathrani's claim that he did not grant any interview to the media seems to be a move aimed at avoiding embarrassment. In an article on December 3, The Wall Street Journal, commenting on Paul Volcker and his report, concluded that his real service lay in "having shone a lantern" into what was hitherto the U.N.'s most "unsightly corners" adding that even if critics charged that the light did not illuminate everything, for many it had illuminated enough. "Tall Paul" Volcker was a lighthouse in a storm.

V.N. Ramachandran,
Boise, Idaho

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