Jaswant used Parliament to promote book: CPI-M

Jaswant has tabled the letter purportedly written by a US diplomat to a US Senator referring to India's nuclear programme.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Wednesday accused former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh of "using parliament to promote" his new book which alleges that a "mole" in the Prime Minister's Office in the 1990s had leaked nuclear secrets to the US.

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"For the first time in its history, the Parliament is being used to promote a book," senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said.

"It is an absolute travesty to the parliamentary system, dishonour to the country and highly irresponsible," Yechury told reporters in the parliament complex.

Rajya Sabha has been plunged into chaos for the last few days over Jaswant Singh's allegations, made in his memoirs "Call to Honour, In Service of Emergent India", as well as before the release of the book last month.

Pointing out that a notice of privilege motion had been tabled in the Rajya Sabha against him, Yechury said there were "doubts" about the authenticity of the documents the BJP leader had tabled in the House.

Jaswant had tabled the letter purportedly written by a US diplomat to a US Senator referring to India's nuclear programme.

"Jaswant Singh should answer three questions: Who is the mole, what are the reasons that compelled him to remain silent for 11 years, and why he did not share the information with even the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government of which he was a part," Yechury demanded.

Citing rules, the Rajya Sabha MP said being a member of the cabinet, Jaswant Singh was a public servant and he was "obliged to divulge information under the law to the government and the country".