Kay Benedict

New Delhi: India’s Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen may have mollified the Lok Sabha’s privileges committee but he could be in big trouble in his own home.

Making light of the phrase “headless chicken”, the envoy told the committee on Monday that he often told even his wife to stop behaving like one!

This is the first time a top diplomat has been summoned before a parliamentary privileges committee.

In a controversial interview carried by Rediffnews in August last, Sen was quoted as saying: “It [the India-US nuclear deal] has been approved here [in Washington DC] by the President and there [in New Delhi] it has been approved by the Indian Cabinet. So why do we have all this running around like headless chickens?”

His comments sparked a major row with MPs from all parties except the Congress demanding action against him. Sen tendered an unqualified apology which was read out by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Sen had said he was referring to the media when he used the expression. But the MPs were not satisfied and two privileges committees (for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha) were set up to look into the episode.

On Monday, he reiterated to the Lok Sabha committee that he did not use the expression to refer to MPs. He said it was a “colloquial” expression he frequently used while conversing.

“When some guests are at home and she [Sen’s wife] runs about the house preparing the menu I ask her why are you running around like a headless chicken.” The Ambassador denied he gave an interview and said it was a casual, off-the-record comment at an “unguarded moment” against critics of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Sources said that contrary to expectations, the committee members did not grill him as they were satisfied with his “sincere” explanation.

After chairman Kishore Chandradeo read out the charges, Sen offered to make a statement before the members started questioning him. He read out a detailed statement tendering an unqualified apology.

Offering a detailed explanation, he said two journalists including the one from Rediffnews requested him for interview on the nuclear deal but he refused. His telephonic conversation with the journalist was touted as an interview, he said. “It was an off the record and informal telephonic conversation,” Sen told the panel.

The envoy said Ambassdors usually keep a record of all their interviews. There was no record of any such interview given to Rediffnews. Explaning the circumstances under which he talked to the journalist, the Ambassador tendered his “deepest regret” for hurting the feelings of the members. He said he was in a “disturbed state of mind” at that time as he had worked hard for a nuclear deal for many years and was disappointed over its fate.

Sources said members appeared convinced that he spoke at an “unguarded moment” and that he did not mean to hurt the feelings of the MPs and as such nobody grilled him. The committee, therefore, is likely to let him off. The committee will prepare a report and and meet again to ratify it before presenting it to Parliament.

Though no date has been fixed, the panel is likely to meet before the winter session of Parliament.

The Rajya Sabha committee has summoned Sen on November 2.

Source : DNA