The Hindu : National : Ronen Sen’s remarks: MPs give notices for privilege motions

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Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007
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Ronen Sen’s remarks: MPs give notices for privilege motions

Neena Vyas

CPI(M), BJP members say the remarks of the envoy were uncalled for

BJP upset with Sinha’s name in report
“He said what he meant and meant what he said”

NEW DELHI: Some members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday gave individual and separate notices for privilege motions in both the Houses of Parliament objecting to remarks attributed to India’s Ambassador to the United States Ronen Sen in an interview to Rediff India Abroad, a news website.

Four CPI(M) MPs in the Lok Sabha — Basudev Acharya, Rupchand Pal, P. Karunakaran and Varkala Radhakrishnan — and six in the Rajya Sabha — Prasanta Chatterjee, Moinul Hassan, Matilal Sarkar, Tapan Sen, P. Madhu and T.K. Ray — have given the notices. From the Communist Party of India, a notice was given by Gurudas Dasgupta in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP was equally upset with the envoy’s remarks, especially since the former External Affairs Minister and Rajya Sabha MP, Yashwant Sinha, was reportedly named in the report saying Mr. Sinha reacted adversely to the 123 nuclear agreement even before the text became public.

The party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, told reporters that Mr. Sinha had given notice of privilege while her colleague in the Lok Sabha, V.K. Malhotra, said similar notices were given by the BJP members in the Lower House.

“More objectionable”

Ms. Swaraj said Mr. Sen’s “clarification” made known to Parliament through the statement of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee “was even more objectionable even if his remark about “headless chickens” was targeting the media and not the MPs.” She said it was clear “he said what he meant and he meant what he said” whether the remarks were “off-the-record or on record.” Members cutting across party lines, including those from the treasury benches, were one in agreeing that the Ambassador’s remarks were uncalled for.

Both the BJP and the CPI(M) demanded that Mr. Sen be recalled, with Ms. Swaraj adding “that would not be enough. He should be called to the bar of Parliament and admonished.” The CPI(M) described the remarks as “unwarranted.”

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