Oil-for-food scandal claims minister

Delhi

Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh was fired this week because of allegations that he took kickbacks from Saddam Hussein under the U.N.’s oil-for-food program. The U.N. panel investigating corruption in the program said in a report last month that Singh received 8 million barrels of oil. Singh, who denied the charges, insisted last week that he had no intention of resigning. But once the allegations began to entangle the ruling Congress Party, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (no relation) demoted him to minister without portfolio.