Already fighting a losing battle to keep the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement going without endangering its own survival, the government was on Tuesday hit by another undesirable controversy. India?s envoy to the US, Ronen Sen?s open criticism, in an interview to a newsportal, of those opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal caused a furore in Parliament, giving the Opposition as well as the Left yet another opportunity to target the ruling coalition.
Sen?s description of those criticising the deal as ??headless chicken?? not only led to adjournments in both Houses, but an embarrassed government was forced to express regret and agree that if the remarks were correct, then they were ??totally unwarranted and unacceptable??. The government stand, however, neither satisfied the Left nor the Opposition, who demanded that the envoy be immediately recalled. In the Rajya Sabha, CPI-M MP Sitaram Yechury termed the remarks as an ??insult?? to the institution of legislature. ??The next logical step should follow. This gentleman cannot represent India in the US??.
Sen was prompt in faxing an unqualified apology immediately this afternoon, but the Left and the BJP moved breach of privilege notices against him, contending that he had cast aspersions on parliamentarians. In his clarification, read out by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee in both houses, Ambassador Sen resorted to the familiar ??I was misquoted or quoted out of context?? line while claiming that his comment, ??running around like headless chickens?? was about the media. ??My comment about running round like headless chickens looking for a comment here or a comment there was a tactless observation on some of my media friends and most certainly not with reference to any honourable MPs?? he said.
Sen also said it was not his intention to cast aspersion on any individual or organisation. ??However, if I have unwittingly hurt any sentiments, I offer my unqualified apologies,?? he said. He prefaced his remarks by stating that some of the comments attributed to him in the ??off-the-record?? conversation were, however, made in his ?personal capacity? and ?do not reflect the positions of the Government”.
