‘References in Volcker report lack evidence’

"Some unsubstantiated references have been made. There is no evidence. Anybody can write names," he told a press conference here in an apparent reference to the naming of former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and Congress party as beneficiaries in the report.

He said the controversy has not hurt the image of the party and the government.

"The attempt will be how to get to the truth of the matter. In the search for this, a judicial commission has been set up and a plenipotentiary has been appointed," he said in reply to questions.

A day after he was relieved of the external affairs portfolio, Union Minister K Natwar Singh yesterday said he was not a "coward" and would answer all allegations against him in parliament.

A defiant minister, addressing supporters who came from several parts of Rajasthan at his official residence, rubbished all the charges levelled against him in the Volcker report on Iraqi oil-for-food scam and he was happy that a probe had been instituted into it.

The Finance Ministry may independently scrutinise whether there are any tax violations by the 125 Indian companies named by the Volcker Committee report for allegedly paying kickbacks to the Saddam Hussein government to get contracts under the UN Oil-for-Food Programme.

"There is no formal probe but we will look into the tax returns of the 125 companies in the normal course to see whether there is any violation," a top Finance Ministry official said.