Thursday, November 3 2005 15:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Nov 3, 2005) demanded a categorical statement from the Centre and the Congress party in view of Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh's assertion that he had seen a document that suggested External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh was among non-contractual recipients of Oil For-Food Programme (OFFP) in Iraq.

''The issue involves the country's image and prestige. The Government of India as also the Congress Party should respond to the claims of Bhim Singh with a detailed and categorical statement. A simple one line denial will not suffice,'' BJP Vice-president Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here reacting to Singh's claims published in a section of the press.

Bhim Singh, a Congress ally, has claimed that the Iraqis had approached him with a 16-page contract document offering an allocation of 7.3 million barrels of Iraqi oil under the OFFP in 2001.

The document, Singh claimed, also contained the names of several others who were being made similar offers. Two names he was able to recognise from the list, apart from his own, were those of Natwar Singh and British Labour MP George Gallow, who has also been named in the Paul Volcker report.

Regarding Bihar BJP President Sushil Kumar Modi alleged phone call to Supreme Court judge S N Vairava seven months ago, Naidu said it might have been planted. ''All sorts of techniques are being used to defame BJP leaders.''

A controversy had erupted following Justice Variava's disclosure that somebody had called him to inquire about the possible transfer of Patna judge dealing with disproportionate assets case against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad and his wife former Chief Minister Rabri Devi.