With no friends left in the Congress and the Government and indicted by the Pathak panel for “misusing” his position to help those close to him obtain contracts and make money in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal, former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh today took the confrontationist way out when he moved a breach of privilege notice against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the “leak” of the Pathak report before its tabling in Parliament.

Natwar’s move was backed by UPA ally CPI while the SP, TDP, AIADMK, which came to his defence, also threatened to move similar notices against the Prime Minister. The CPM too said “there has been a violation of the privilege” and called for a probe.

Spotting an opportunity to corner the Government, the BJP-led NDA said it would give notices for breach of privilege in both Houses of Parliament.

That Natwar’s move could cost him his place in the party was evident tonight when Congress sources indicated that disciplinary action was expected tomorrow after the filing of the Action Taken Report (ATR) in Parliament. A meeting of the Union Cabinet is scheduled early tomorrow to approve the ATR along with the Pathak report.

On Natwar’s notice, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said: “If Singh has done so, it is an absolute act of indiscipline. I am trying to ascertain the facts from Singh himself”.

Another Congress leader said that Natwar had “gone too far, to a point of no return.”

But rallying to Natwar’s defence, UPA ally CPI’s A B Bardhan said: “What is unjustified in the privilege motion? There has been a leak. It is a fact and the whole country knows about it.”

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