Saturday, December 3 2005 18:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A day after the political storm over his allegedly receiving oil vouchers from Saddam Hussain regime in Iraq, Union Minister Natwar Singh today (Dec 3, 2005) met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, fuelling speculation about his resignation but highly placed sources said he is not stepping down.

Singh, who was accused by his close aide and India's Ambassador to Croatia, Aniel Matherani, of receiving oil allotment from Saddam's regime for his 'personal services', drove to the Prime Minister's official residence for a meeting that lasted about 40 minutes.

Though there was no official word on what transpired at the meeting, the sources said he is not resigning.

The sources said the Prime Minister would not act on the basis of mere allegations or charges and would await the report of the Justice Pathak Inquiry Authority set up to probe the issue.

Earlier, putting up a brave front, Natwar Singh told reporters on the margins of a function here that he would 'face' the 'struggle'.

"There is a struggle, we will face it," he said when asked whether he found himself in a situation of 'struggle' like Mangal Pandey, the hero of India's first independence struggle of 1857, because of the latest developments.

Singh refused to make any further comments, including whether he would send a legal notice to Matherani for comments attributed to him by a news magazine alleging that he had received oil vouchers for himself and his Congress party.