The Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) of the Congress once again failed to reach a decision on proceeding further against suspended party leader K Natwar Singh, whose name had figured in the Volcker report on Iraqi food-for-oil scam

“Natwar Singh is already suspended,” DAC member and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here. Backed by the Samajwadi Party, Singh has been publicly targeting the Congress leadership, especially Sonia Gandhi, since his suspension from the party in August 2006. However, Congress has not acted against Singh, as dismissal would mean he will get to retain his Rajya Sabha seat for another two years, when his tenure ends. Natwar Singh’s son Jagat Singh has already been expelled from the party.

Mukherjee said the DAC, headed by Defence Minister A K Antony, discussed “some cases of indiscipline and also on how to enforce discipline”. For instance, former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal and his son have been publicly targetting the Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda much to the anger of the party high command. In Meghalaya too, CM J D Rymbai has been sticking on though AICC chief Sonia Gandhi asked him to quit last week.