Sunday, October 30 2005 12:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M), a key ally of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, has demanded a proper investigation into allegations made in a UN inquiry report that External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh was a non-contractual beneficiary of Iraqi oil sales in 2001 under the oil-for-food programme.

"Let there be a proper investigation before jumping to a conclusion," Sitaram Yechury, Rajya Sabha MP and member of the polite bureau of the CPI (M) told sources here yesterday (Oct 29, 2005) night.

The UN-ordered inquiry led by Paul Volcker named Natwar Singh and the Congress party as 'non-contractual beneficiaries' of Iraqi oil sales in 2001. Both Natwar Singh and the party have denied the charge.

Volcker's report says that more than 2,000 firms worldwide linked to the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq were involved in making illicit payments to the Iraqi Government.

Yechury, a member of the Indian delegation to the UN who was here on a brief visit and leaves for New York tomorrow (Oct 31, 2005), also strongly condemned the serial bomb blasts in Delhi yesterday and suggested beefing up of security and intelligence network.

Yechury was earlier given a warm welcome by the Indian community in Britain at a reception in Southall. Among those present was Piara Singh Khabra, MP (Labour) for Southall, Virendra Sharma, President of Indian Overseas Congress, Himmat Singh Sohi, President of the largest Gurdwara here, representatives from Hindu and Muslim communities, local Telugu leaders, and secretaries of Association of Indian Communists (Marxist).