Praful a minister for Goyal,Deora incompetent: N K Singh

Singh accused aviation minister Praful Patel of being a minister for Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways.

Among the latest tapes of corporate lobbyist Niira Radias conversations posted on the website of news magazine Outlook,Rajya Sabha member N K Singh,a former secretary in the finance ministry,purportedly calls Petroleum Minister Murli Deora incompetent,refers to Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel as having worked as a minister for Naresh Goyal and says Kamal Nath is literally on the road referring to the fact that Nath got only the Surface Transport portfolio,with Shipping going to G K Vasan.

Singh,who is Deputy Chairman of the Bihar Planning Commission,talks in detail about the spectacular decline of Kamal Nath. He is on the road8230; literally on the road8230; well you can always hide it by saying highways are after all one black point of the government and they want to make up for it. But I think there is much more than meets the eye8230; In Kamal Naths case enough is enough8230; and I do not think right now he needs another ATM. He has one going on for many years and that is enough for him, Singh is heard saying.

In another tape posted on the Outlooks site,Singh tells Radia,Every time any question comes up in any house of Parliament,he is more busy trying to appease that questioner to see if he can stay out8230; perhaps Mukesh has swung it for him8230; the continuity in the petroleum ministry8230; Murli is an incompetent minister. He may be a good man. So hopefully there is a chance for Jitendra Prasad to do something.

Contacted for a comment,Singh told The Indian Express,I categorically deny that it was in any way my intention to have cast any aspersions either on his Deoras competence or ability as an important minister of the Union Cabinet. There is also no question of Mr Murli Deoras incompetence in Parliament or elsewhere. There is no question of Mr Ambani or anyone else seeking to secure a Cabinet Berth for Mr Murli Deora.

Deora declined to comment.

Singh is also heard expressing surprise at Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharmas spectacular jump. He says,I know he was close to 10 Janpath but in the meantime he had done a lot to cultivate PM personally,hanging around PMO,Nairs room and PM.

Radia is heard telling Singh that Praful Patel has destroyed the aviation sector. I am sorry I do have a view about it. I do not think he has done justice with the sector.

To this,Singh replies,He has worked as a minister for Naresh Goyal.

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Radia says,Yes,yes,and now Vijay Mallya at the cost of the national carrier.

Singh told The Indian Express that the bits of the conversation are selective and blown out of context. They form part of a more general conversation of an analytical nature on the Cabinet well after it was formed.