A Window To Perceptive Journalism

Volcker's Sleuthing Damages
Amarinder's Leeway Channel
Called Brother-In-Law

S P Singh

Probing the slush flow in international oil-for-food kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, a sleuthing Volcker never knew who is Amarinder Singh. For the record, he has said he never knew even Union Minister Natwar Singh. Unwittingly of course, his report has put not just Natwar in a bind but his royal brother-in-law Amarinder also may end up suffering significant damage to the leeway channels at 10, Janpath.

That the brothers-in-law were always brothers-in-arm within the Congress was never a veiled secret; so the hit that the Amarinder regime has got has also not escaped the notice of his opponents, of whom there are enough within the party just as Natwar has found out.

Top sources within the Congress said Natwar's position as member of the all powerful Congress Working Committee (CWC) as well as his proximity to the Gandhi family has always been the brahmastra for Amarinder and a guarantor of an edge over those eyeing his job.

"But with Natwar having enough problems of his own, and being perceived as someone who tried to drag in Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's name into the whole imbroglio as a defensive tactic, his ability as a swashbuckler for Amarinder has been severely reduced," said a senior leader.

While it was clear that the Congress consistently kept its distance as a party from the row, despite Natwar's bid to keep the party, Gandhi and the PM in the picture, the message has not been lost on anyone in Punjab.

Natwar's postion as the external affairs minister was of immense use when Amarinder straddled the Punjab-to-Punjab bonhomie turf, creating history by crossing Wagah and later inviting West Punjab CM Pervez Elahi here. Any post-facto permissions for trips made in a hurry to Dubai were also easy to come by.

With the CM admitting that Andleeb Sehgal, the Hamdaan man in the centre of the row, was his first cousin hasn't particularly helped his position, though his contention that being brother in law of Natwar does not mean complicity in any scandal is aimed at blunting the opposition’s charge.

The major topple-Amarinder offensive launched in 2003 by (now Deputy CM) Rajinder Kaur Bhattal-led dissidents had fizzled out and a major credit was being given to Natwar's behind the scene maneuverings. Similar skills could be needed by the CM anytime in future too, particularly when the battle would begin over Assembly ticket distribution.

With the 10, Janpath flank not covered as well as it was earlier, and the fact being known to every single political rival, Amarinder has become a most unwitting victim of Volcker, but then, the UN sleuth is not to be blamed. He didn't even know who Natwar is. Amarinder of course knew what Natwar could do for him.

P.S. In hindsight, do you now think it would have mattered had Natwar known who Volcker is?■

November, 2005

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