Wednesday, November 16 2005 19:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Nine days after he lost the key External Affairs Ministry portfolio, K Natwar Singh today (Nov 16,2005) termed the action as 'disagreeable' but agreed with Congress President Sonia Gandhi that Government should get to the bottom of allegations made in the Volcker Committee report on pay offs in Iraqi oil deals.

"It (relieving of his portfolio) is disagreeable. There is no substance in the allegations" that he and the Congress party were beneficiaries in the pay offs made during the Saddam Hussein regime in 2001", he said.

Singh said he agreed with Congress President Sonia Gandhi's views that "We should get to the bottom of the matter".

Addressing the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, the Minister brushed aside suggestions that his exit from the foreign ministry was hastened because of his anti-American remarks on Iran and Iraq. Singh said he favored the 'closest of relations' between India and the US.

Singh stuck to his controversial remarks that if a stronger resolution was tabled at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting in Vienna on Iran's nuclear issue on November 24 of referring it to the UN Security Council, Government must take a 'very careful look' as any such move would create a 'very big mess'.

He said there must be a consensus on resolving the issue within IAEA framework.

Shortly before he was relieved of his portfolio, Singh had then created a stir by saying that "If a resolution is placed at the IAEA which is more severe than the last one which says that this matter (Iran nuclear issue) must go to the UN Security Council, I can as Foreign Minister of India tell you that my recommendation to the Government will be to revise our vote."

Breaking her silence on the Volcker Committee report, Gandhi had yesterday declared that action would be taken against any individual found guilty in the inquiry into allegations of pay offs in the Iraqi oil deals.

She also rejected a suggestion that she was 'protecting' Natwar Singh in the wake of controversy after his name and that of the Congress were mentioned in Volcker committee report as beneficiaries in the pay offs.

"I fully agree with what Sonia Gandhiji said yesterday (Nov 15, 2005). I was the first person to say there should be a probe. I even announced that I will make a statement in Parliament. But I can't do so now since the matter is in the hands of Justice R Pathak (who will carry out a judicial probe) and Virendra Dayal (who will collect information from the UN panel and other quarters abroad). It won't be appropriate for me to elaborate on it," he said.