Union Minister K Natwar Singh on Wednesday handed over his resignation from Union Cabinet to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shortly after he returned from Moscow.

"This is my letter of resignation from the Union Cabinet as minister without portfolio. It has been a privilege to be a member of your cabinet," he said in his letter.

After his meeting with Dr Singh, Natwar, who announced his resignation from the Cabinet on Tuesday night following the Iraqi oil scandal, said the prime minister would forward the letter to President A P J Abdul Kalam.

He said he had earlier faxed the letter to the prime minister in Moscow and now he was personally handing it over to him. Natwar said the Congress party and its President Sonia Gandhi had done a lot for him.

Maintaining that he was innocent, Natwar said, "I am a Congress worker and will always remain a Congress worker."

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