New Delhi: Natwar Singh, the former External Affairs Minister, has faulted the Justice Pathak Inquiry Authority for ignoring the report of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations on the "authenticity and veracity of the Volcker Report."

In a statement, which was read by his son, Jagat Singh, to the media on Wednesday, the former External Affairs Minister said: "the communication is of October 30, 2005 and therefore a vital input which was available to the Manmohan Singh Government and to Justice R.S.Pathak which they seem to have deliberately ignored."

Noting that "a malicious campaign has been mounted against me over the report of Mr. Paul Volcker," which had subjected him "to a painful inquisition, thereby questioning my honour and integrity and my political and diplomatic credentials acquired over my life time," Mr. Natwar Singh said that "Justice Pathak's inquiry has in its own convoluted way totally discredited the basis of Paul Volcker's allegations."

In his statement, Mr. Singh has highlighted three points made by Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Minister, Permanent Mission of India — first, "the Independent Inquiry Committee is headed by Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, whose inclination would be to discredit the opponents of U.S. policy," second, "no evidence has been cited and no documentation given on most of the allegations made;" and, three, "due process was not observed because none of the non-commercial entities were asked, through PMI, to respond to the allegations."

Mr. Singh said: "I wonder why this vital document has been deliberately ignored."

He, therefore, wanted to "place [it] before the people of India."

Late on Tuesday night, after his suspension from the Congress, , Mr. Singh was quoted by the news agencies as having said: " I will write to the Guinness Book of World Records. This is the only Prime Minister who has not even won a municipality election and has become the Prime Minister of India."

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