Saturday, November 5 2005 14:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Nagpur: Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Vasant Sathe today (Nov 05, 2005) asked the party to file a defamation case against Paul Volcker and his committee, which has charged it and External Affairs minister K Natwar Singh with receiving Iraqi pay-offs and seek damages to the tune of USD 10 million.

"The Volcker committee report, which indicted Natwar Singh, is prima facie scandalous and against the principles of natural justice of law," Sathe, also a lawyer told, sources today.

Coming to the rescue of his party colleague, Sathe said "for simple reason, Paul Volcker has not given any opportunity either to the Congress or to Natwar Singh or more importantly to Government of India, which is a member state of United Nations.

It is a case of ex-party decision of Volcker committee," Sathe, here on a private visit, added.

Sathe, a member of All India Congress Committee (AICC) also criticised BJP for taking undue advantage of the allegations against Singh.

"BJP wants to capitalise on the issue but they have forgotten that it is an insult to the nation on which the saffron party was reacting too much," Sathe said.