Wednesday, December 7 2005 18:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Union Minister K Natwar Singh today (Dec 7, 2005) handed over his resignation from Union Cabinet to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shortly after he returned from Moscow.

"This is my letter of resignation from the Union Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio. It has been a privilege to be a member of your cabinet," he said in his letter.

After his meeting with Singh, Natwar, announced his resignation from the Cabinet last night following the Iraqi oil scandal, said the Prime Minister would be forwarding the letter to President APJ Abdul Kalam.

He said he had earlier faxed the letter to him in Moscow and now he handed it over to him personally.

Natwar Singh said the Congress party and its President Sonia Gandhi have done a lot for him.

Maintaining that he was innocent, he said, "I am a Congress worker and I will always remain a Congress worker."