Sunday, November 6 2005 10:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: BJP yesterday (Nov 05, 2005) termed the resignation of Union Minister Jaiprakash Yadav as a 'diversionary tactic' on part of UPA government to deflect national attention from the Iran food-for-oil scam allegedly involving the Congress Party and External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh.

"The arrest of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) member from Siwan Mohammad Shahabuddin and the resignation of Jaiprakash Narain Yadav from the Union Council Ministers on the same day is a national drama being enacted to divert public attention from the international oil-for-food scam in which the ruling Congress party and Natwar Singh have been named as non-contractual beneficiaries", Party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told sources.

In an apparent reference to the charges leveled by construction contractor H.S Mazy, he said it was a strange coincidence on a day when serious allegation have been made against the Congress Party, its President Sonia Gandhi and Natwar Singh with regard to the oil-for-food scam.

"While Shahabuddin had been freely roaming around in the capital all this time and the Minister had been absconding since a long time, how come both the developments have taken place on the same day," he asked.

The BJP leader said the party would continue to 'expose' the Congress party, its President and Natwar Singh on the Oil-for Food scam allegation till the time the Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh drops the External Affairs Minister.