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.”

Asked whether Natwar was garnering support, Bardhan said: “We are living in a democracy. He came to explain his version. He is not untouchable for us”.

The CPM, which backed Natwar when the Volcker report first came to light, issued a carefully worded statement after the top leadership discussed the issue. “There has been a violation of the privilege and it should be probed. Let the House privileges committee go into it,” stated the CPM. Later, politburo member Sitaram Yechury said the leakage of the report merited a privilege notice and “ought not to have happened”.

SP general secretary Amar Singh, whose party has been carrying on a campaign against the Congress, met Natwar today with messages of support from his party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa.

Amar Singh said 33 MPs of the three parties were likely to bring a breach of privilege motion against the Prime Minister in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow and raise the issue in the House.

Asked if the PM was to take the blame for the “leak”, he said, “the Prime Minister is the head of the government and even if anybody in the PMO is responsible for this, he has to take the blame.”

The BJP, which put in a privilege notice request at the Lok Sabha notice office today, promised another one in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow morning. BJP leader V K Malhotra said: “These notices are against the PM on the leakage. But our main targets will be the Congress and Sonia Gandhi who have been given a clean chit while Natwar is being made the scapegoat.”

Natwar, on his part, chose not to admit that he had moved a notice.

“I will make no statement till I see the report which I am told will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow,” he told reporters outside his residence.

Rajya Sabha chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s office was considering the admissibility of Natwar’s privilege notice under Rule 188. Confirming that the notice had been received, a senior Rajya Sabha official said: “We have asked for details. We are trying to ascertain whether the leakage before the report was tabled in Parliament violates rules of procedure and conduct. The final decision will be taken by tomorrow morning.”

CPI to SP to AIADMK: We are with Natwar

• Natwar moves privilege notice against PM over Pathak report “leak”

• Cong’s P R Dasmunsi says “absolute act of indiscipline”

• UPA ally CPI backs Natwar, Bardhan says “leak” is a fact

• CPM’s Sitaram Yechury says “leakage ought not to have happened”, merits privilege notice

• Amar Singh says SP, TDP, AIADMK with Natwar, 33 MPs will bring similar notices

• BJP-led NDA says will also move privilege notices against PM in both Houses