NEW DELHI, 22 August 2007 — Both houses of the Parliament were rocked yesterday with legislators belonging to the opposition and the left objecting to Indian envoy to the United States Ronen Sen having called opponents of the nuclear deal “headless chickens.”
During an interview to the media, Sen had said: “It (the nuclear deal) has been approved here (in Washington DC) by the president and there it has been approved by the Indian Cabinet. So why do you have all this running around like headless chicken, looking for a comment here or comment there, and these little storms in a tea-cup?” Questioning the opposition voiced against the deal, Sen said: “I can understand (such a debate) immediately after independence,” he said.
“But 60 years after independence! I am really bothered that 60 years after independence, they are so insecure — that we have not grown up, this lack of confidence and lack of self-respect,” Sen remarked.
For his comments “casting grave aspersions against parliamentarians,” the Communist Party of India-Marxist moved privilege motions against him. The motions were moved for Sen’s “unwarranted” and “derogatory” comments on parliamentarians. In the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee tried to pacify agitated members by expressing regret over the alleged “comments, which have hurt the feelings of honorable members.” Saying that the envoy had been misquoted, Mukherjee said: “If these comments have been made by the ambassador, and reported correctly, they are totally unwarranted, unacceptable, and in a democracy nobody can accuse others who hold divergent views.”
Apparently shaken by angry legislators seeking his recall, Sen extended an apology, which was read by Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha. “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 honorable MPs,” Sen said. “However, if I have unwittingly hurt any sentiments, I offer my unqualified apologies,” the envoy said.
Neither the opposition parties nor left leaders seemed convinced by Sen’s “apology.” Demanding Sen’s recall, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj said: “Today, the ambassador has said in a statement that those who are opposed to the deal are headless chickens. We have demanded that such an ambassador should be recalled.”
