Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) A day after Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh was ticked off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over his remarks in Beijing criticising the Indian government’s policy towards Chinese companies, the Congress refused to say if the minister’s explanation had been accepted by the party.
Party general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi reiterated the party’s criticism of the minister’s remarks.

“It is not expected of a member of the council of ministers to comment on policies of the government and other ministries and relations with foreign countries publicly,” he told reporters here.

The party Monday criticised Ramesh and conveyed its strong disapproval of his remarks. Congress leaders refused to officially comment on the explanatory note Ramesh sent Monday to the prime minister and the Congress chief.

Asked if the party treated the issue as closed, the party leaders said that it will be decided by the leaders to whom Ramesh had given an explanation.

In Beijing to attend a global meet on climate change, Ramesh said there was danger that cooperation with China flowing from the Copenhagen spirit would end unless New Delhi changed “a needlessly restrictive, alarmist approach” to Chinese investment in infrastructure.

The minister Tuesday refused to answer any questions related to his remarks in Beijing.

Ramesh is a Congress Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh. His current term as a member will come to end in June. The Election Commission has already issued the notification for filling up vacancies in the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha.