New Delhi
21 August 2007
Indian Ambassador to the United States Ronen Sen may have borne
the brunt of the parliamentarians' anger but Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon was
not spared either.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh, who was a minister of external
affairs in the erstwhile NDA Government, voiced his anxiety and concern over the
"unhappy tendency" of the foreign secretary explaining the details of the proposed India-
United States civil nuclear cooperation agreement to the UPA.
"This is highly objectionable," he said.
Speaking soon after Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee made a statement in
the Rajya Sabha, Mr Jaswant Singh said that the foreign secretary or an Indian envoy is
not the staff of any one political party but of the country and they should serve the
Republic.
Mr Singh felt that it will be unfortunate if the Executive "becomes unanswerable" to the
Legislature. He said: "Denigration of the Legislature by the Judiciary is happening on a
daily basis. If the Executive too joins ... then it gives cause for anxiety and concern."
"This is not acceptable," he asserted, adding that the foreign secretary briefing political
parties "adds to my worry".
Sources said that the BJP was miffed with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon for
briefing certain Congress MPs on the details of the nuclear deal earlier this week. Mr
Menon met with the MPs who the Congress is expected to field when Parliament debates
the issue. He is understood to have told the MPs that the nuclear deal addressed the
concerns that have been raised since the agreed text of the 123 Agreement was frozen in
Washington last month.
Mr Jaswant Singh rounded off his intervention with a suggestion. There is a need, he
said, of a fuller text of Indian envoy in Washington Ronen Sen's interview and sought to
impress upon Mr Pranab Mukherjee to obtain it.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani made a similar demand. "[I] would like
this House to know and to have the full text of the interview ... because simply denying
and saying 'It is not exactly what I have said' would not be enough. Many people may
have been shocked to hear that MPs, who have been opposing this deal, have been
described as headless chickens". He added: "I would urge the Leader of the House that
let the House be given the full text of the interview that the ambassador has given. After
that, we will make a considered comment on it, and then demand whatever action we
think appropriate."
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