Saturday, November 5 2005 12:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Muzaffarpur: With the Volcker report raising a political storm, the NDA stepped up its offensive against the Manmohan Singh government with its Convenor George Fernandes demanding that the Government and Congress president Sonia Gandhi clarify their position with respect to the charges of Congress' involvement in oil-for-food scam in Iraq.

"External Affairs minister K Natwar Singh should not be made the scape goat. The Congress is also equally involved in it (the oil-for-food scam)", Fernandes told a press conference here last evening.

Sarcastically remarking that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leaders were 'fleeing like rats instead of clarifying their position', Fernandes claimed that the startling revelations in the probe report of the UN panel had "now proved that Natwar Singh and the Congress party have amassed hundreds of crore of rupees".

"In the wake of serious allegations against her party, Sonia Gandhi should make her position clear", National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader said and demanded that the Manmohan Singh government should also let the people know about the facts pertaining to the scam.

"The Left and Congress leaders had sought my resignation in an utterly false case (coffin's scam) and I had submitted my resignation to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee", he said, adding he did not accept any post until the conclusion of the inquiry.

Fernandes said instead of trying to save its own skin the government should order an impartial inquiry into the disclosures made by the Volcker panel in the interest of the country.

Fernandes said the Volcker committee report had become public and "therefore the matter cannot be buried by silencing Panthers party chief Bhim Singh".

"NDA will try to corner the UPA government in Parliament and outside on the Volcker committee report", he said.