Thursday, July 21 2005 14:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Accusing the Congress-led coalition of desperately attempting to tarnish the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime's decisions, former disinvestment minister Arun Shourie today (July 21, 2005) said he was willing to face any inquiry by any agency that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government chooses.

"I will go to any office at any time that the CBI designates. If the officials choose to come to our house they are most welcome. I will personally serve them excellent Madras coffee as well as excellent jasmine tea straight from Beijing," Shourie said, reacting to the UPA Government ordering a CBI probe into the sale of two Centaur Hotels in Mumbai.

"I have already stated all the facts in writing .I will cooperate with every inquiry or agencies which the Government chooses. I stand by that commitment," he said.

"If the inquiry is held in private, as I have stated earlier, I will, as soon as I come out of questioning, recount for the public every question I am asked as well as every answer I give," said Shourie.

Claiming that government was very well aware that there was nothing to examine in the case, he said: "They have already scrutinized every crap of paper connected with this disinvestment as well as some others".

The former disinvestment minister accused the UPA Government of 'fishing for any little thing that could help tarnish the NDA Government's decision'.

"They have specially scrutinized disinvestment (cases) where there was a single bidder," Shourie said on the Centaur Hotels case, adding that the UPA government had 'justified every concept and step in a detailed note which was sent to CAG in January 2005.'

He reiterated that disinvestment process undertaken by the NDA government was transparent.

"They have found that every disinvestment was completely transparent, completely in order and in conformity with procedures and norms and after having been deliberated upon by committees of officials of different ministries and was considered and approved by the Cabinet Committee on disinvestment headed by the Prime Minister himself," he said.