NEW DELHI: The `mole' controversy started by the publication of a book by Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh took several new turns on Wednesday and there is every indication that the matter will not die down easily. In addition, several Congress MPs and others have given notice for discussion in the Lok Sabha of the Kandahar episode, which is expected to figure on Thursday or early next week.

Two Congress MPs have served a notice of breach of privilege and this is under the consideration of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. And the Embassy of the United States has described the `document' authenticated and tabled by Mr. Jaswant Singh in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as a "poor imitation of official U.S. government correspondence." Unofficially, the suggestion was that the `document' was forged.

Yet another twist was the confirmation by Harry Barnes, to a television channel that he served as U.S. Ambassador to India from 1981 to 1985, but by 1995 when India's nuclear plans were supposedly leaked to the Americans, Mr. Barnes had retired from the U.S. foreign service and was Director of Conflict Resolution and Human Rights programmes at the Carter Centre. He has denied any knowledge or memory of that `document.'

Mr. Jaswant Singh mentioned in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that Mr. Barnes was one of the two Americans, the other being a Senator, between whom the "communication" (the `document' is allegedly a copy of that communication) about India's nuclear plans took place.

The U.S. Embassy spokesperson here, David Kennedy, issued the following statement:

"The letter is not official U.S. Government correspondence. The U.S. Embassy was not asked to examine the document before it was made public. Had we been asked we would have pointed out that it is a poor imitation of official U.S. correspondence."

It was at the morning meeting of leaders in the chamber of Mr. Shekhawat that the breach of privilege notice against Mr. Jaswant Singh given by Congress MPs V. Narayanasamy and Santosh Bagrodia was discussed. The BJP leaders reportedly said that on an earlier occasion when a member gave a similar notice against the Prime Minister, he was not allowed to speak on the matter in the House before the Chair took a decision (whether to admit it or not). In Congress circles there were claims that Mr. Jaswant Singh had himself expressed doubts about the authenticity of the `document' placed by him on the table of the House as while authenticating it he had said it was true to the best of his knowledge.

The Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded an apology from Mr. Jaswant Singh and the BJP. Describing the "non-revelation" of the name of the `mole' as a gross injustice, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury wanted the BJP leader to respond to two questions. Who was the `mole'? What compelled Mr. Jaswant Singh to remain silent on this for the last 11 years? For the first time Parliament was used "to promote [Jaswant Singh's] book at state expenditure. It was a dishonour to the country," he said.

Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan pointed out that the named U.S. officials had rejected that they were aware of that `document. An apology to the nation was due from Mr. Jaswant Singh.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail