External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh has expressed his outrage and anger at the Volcker report naming him as a non-contractual beneficiary. Volcker has done it 'without any evidence at all,' he says.

"Let me make this absolutely clear, I have nothing to do with this affair. Nor has my son," he asserted.

Jagat Singh against whom there was a whisper campaign is Natwar Singh's son. "I saw the Prime Minister and he has given me a clean chit and stood by me."

This on October 30, a day after his name first figured in media reports. Thus the reason for Natwar Singh's confidence was that Prime Minister had given him a 'clean chit.'

It is instructive what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on the very day Natwar Singh briefed the media that had carried the Volcker report. Manmohan Singh's response came through a statement from his office.

'Natwar Singh met the Prime Minister upon his return from Moscow,' says the statement of the PMO as if it were extremely critical to the issue 'and categorically denied any involvement in the alleged illicit payments on the oil transactions under the oil-for-food programme as stated by the UN Independent Inquiry Committee.'

The PMO statement goes on, "The Prime Minister agreed that the facts mentioned in the report of the Independent Inquiry Committee are insufficient to arrive at any adverse conclusion against the External Affairs Minister and stands by him."

So the Prime Minister relies on Natwar Singh's 'categorical denial' and agrees obviously with Natwar Singh that the facts are insufficient.

So, as the Prime Minister relies on Natwar Singh's denial and agrees with him, Natwar Singh claims that the 'Prime Minister has given him a clean chit' a perfect mutually self-supporting evidence.

This is all on October 30, reported in the media on October 31. Now see what happens on November 1.

"I have no objection to any probe," says Natwar Singh.

The allegations, he claims, are 'part of the continuing campaign to malign the Congress and its senior leaders.'

Indeed, a clever move. He links himself to none other than Sonia Gandhi herself. In the earlier expose from Mitrokhin Archives the allegation was that the Congress party and the Gandhi family had received bribes from the KGB.

The expose had also indicated that the Communist Party of India (CPI) leaders were also beneficiaries. Obviously, Natwar Singh is in powerful company. If the Volcker report is to be acted upon, then Mitrokhin Archives will also have to be seen. For, if Manmohan accepts that Natwar Singh is indicted by Volcker report, he has to accept that the Gandhis are already indicted by Mitrokhin Archives.

Is it not dangerous? Added to that, the Gandhi family and Natwar Singh are in the company of a valuable coalition partner, the CPI. So the Mitrokhin expose has become the insurance for Natwar Singh.

But Natwar is no Sonia. She holds no position, but controls all positions. Natwar Singh is a minister, but not a minister for agriculture or for rural development. He is the foreign minister. As such he has to deal with the US and its allies. He has to speak on Iraq and the Indian government policies on Iraq. How credible will he be on Iraq?

If he says the US was wrong on Iraq issue it will be a 'non-contractual beneficiary' under Saddam's munificence speaking. If he says the US is right on any Iraq issue, it will be seen as a beneficiary of Saddam wriggling out of his taint. Either way India will lose credibility, Natwar having already lost it.

Also, the evidence that has been cited by the Volcker report is not evidence, which Volcker has generated. The evidence has been secured under a UN resolution, which has directed all the member states of the UN including India yes including India to furnish the details of the transactions under the oil-for-food programme.

So it is not an inquiry in which the Indian Government did not participate. The Indian Government was involved in the inquiry. In fact, it was a party to the inquiry. So no evidence was secured behind the back of any one. It was a transparent inquiry. How then does the Prime Minister agree with Natwar Singh?

Should he not ask those in the Government who interfaced with the UN Inquiry?