Friday, December 2 2005 17:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Left parties today (Dec 2,2005) said fresh claims made by an Indian envoy in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam should be taken cognisance of by Justice R S Pathak Inquiry Authority and the Enforcement Directorate, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Opposition should not be allowed to disrupt Parliamentary proceedings on a regular basis.

Castigating the BJP for blocking proceedings in both Houses of Parliament, Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M) leaders Nilotpal Basu and Rupchand Pal asked whether any FIR was lodged when "The entire nation saw then BJP President Bangaru Laxman receiving money"?

"We are not defending anyone in this (oil-for-food scam) case. But Paul Volcker has himself said the materials on which his report was based were unverified. Can we hold anyone guilty at this stage? Let the enquiry (by Justice Pathak) be over", Basu said.

Pal and Basu said Indian Ambassador to Croatia Anil Mathrani, who has reportedly claimed that K Natwar Singh had used the oil coupons meant for the Congress, should testify before the Pathak panel and "It is for the inquiry committee to take cognisance and decide on its authenticity".

Asked whether Congress President Sonia Gandhi should resign following the charges as was being demanded by BJP, Basu said, "There is absolutely no sense in the demand when Volcker himself says the materials used for his report are unverified".

Demanding that the Government, the Pathak panel and Enforcement Directorate should take note of Mathrani's statements, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta told sources that BJP should not be allowed to 'Let loose Parliamentary terrorism and disrupt proceedings".

The CPI leader said that Government should convene a meeting of all parties and make a coordinated move to protect the rules and procedures of Parliament 'to prevent BJP from disrupting proceedings on a regular basis'.

Observing that they were not sitting on a judgement on Mathrani's claims, CPI(M) leaders Basu and Pal said, he, as an Ambassador and a government employee, should also have communicated to the Government if he had any knowledge about the scam.

He should, therefore, depose before the Pathak probe panel to authenticate his claims.