Click to play videoNew Delhi: Natwar Singh is fast running out of supporters as he feels the afterefffects of the Volcker report.
With the opposition gunning for him and his own party distancing itself, Natwar is on borrowed time.
On Friday, outside Parliament, Natwar Singh refused to commit on what he would do next.
But it is clear that after the Pathak report accused him of misusing his position to get oil contracts from the Saddam Hussein regime, the former external affairs minister's options are reducing.
Inside parliament, the BJP, keen to deflect attention from the Jaswant Singh mole controversy, targeted the Centre and accused the Manmohan Singh Government of leaking the report.
Forcing the adjourment of both house of Parliament, the NDA insisted that the Congress was making Natwar the fall guy.
"There was a voucher in the name of the Congress party of $4 million. What happened to that voucher? It can't be said that Natwar is guilty and the Congress is not," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha asks.
The Congress is playing safe and insisting that the party's position on Natwar Singh would be formalised only after an action taken report was tabled in Parliament.
"We did not make him a scapegoat. It was an objective analysis by the party and the government to order an enquiry and get a report. That has to be seen by the Cabinet, has to be seen by the ministry and an action tabled report has to be made," Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Information & Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi says.
While the Left was more circumspect Natwar did find an ally in the Samajwadi Party that offered him an open invitation to join them in case he is pushed to the brink with the Congress.
While it seems unlikely that Natwar will return as external affairs minister, he may well have to reconcile himself to the fact that in politics there are no permanent friends.
(With inputs from Divyamanu Choudhary)
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