The Congress on Tuesday expelled Jagat Singh from the party in the wake of his indictment by the Pathak Authority in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam.
JAIPUR: Jagat Singh, who along with his father and former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh has been indicted in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam, was on Tuesday expelled from the party for indiscipline and misconduct.
Acting on the recommendations of a disciplinary committee headed by senior leader Pradhyuman Singh, the party decided to expel Jagat, the sitting MLA from Lakshmangarh, after he failed to reply to the show cause notice issued to him on August 18 when he was suspended from the party following his indictment by the Justice Pathak Authority.
"Defying the show cause notice after suspension from the party on August 18, Jagat not only involved in the pro-Natwar Swabhiman rally but also openly assailed many senior Congress leaders from the dias on August 23 which was highly deplorable," PCC President Dr B D Kalla said.
The PCC executive committee had on August 23 approved the suspension of Jagat, and now after considering the recommendation of disciplinary committee, he was expelled, Kalla said.
He said that a letter notifying Jagat about the expulsion from the party has already been issued.
The Pathak Authority had indicted Natwar Singh and Jagat for misusing their positions to favour some people close to them in procuring oil contracts from the Saddam Hussein regime in 2001.
Following their indictment, both of them were suspended from the party.
The Enforcement Directorate had on Sunday issued showcause notices to Natwar, his son Jagat, and some others for alleged irregularities in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam. They have been given time till September 14 to reply to these showcause notices.
In the suspension letter served to Jagat on August 18, the Congress party charged him with misconduct and bringing disrepute to the party.
The suspension letter said it is clear from the circumstances set out by the Pathak Authority that "you are actively involved through your father in promoting business interests of your cousin Andaleep Sehgal and that you had full knowledge of the nature of the transaction and that you used your father as Chairman, Foreign Affairs Department of AICC, to help Sehgal receive favour from Iraq authorities."
"Apart from misusing your official position in the party to promote business interest of Sehgal, you have also indulged in carrying out anti-party activities by criticising the party and its senior leaders publicly in various interviews, comments and statements, and have brought disrepute to the party," it said.
PCC is yet to decide the future of 11 other party leaders and functionaries of Bharatpur and Alwar districts, who were suspended along with Jagat for defying the party whip on the eve of a pro-Natwar rally here by Rajasthan Kisan Mahasabha, an umbrella of Jat societies, Kalla said.
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