New Delhi: After his “headless chicken” talk created much hullabaloo in India’s highest corridor of power, ambassador to the US Ronen Sen on Wednesday offered "sincere and unqualified apology" to Parliamentarians.
Sen’s apology was in response to a privilege notice served to him by the Lok Sabha over the purported remarks referring to MPs to "headless chickens".
Sen was given the notice after members from most of the non-Congress parties slammed him for his reported "derogatory" remark in connection with the controversy over Indo-US nuclear deal.
Sen issued the "clarifications" over the remarks attributed to him along with the apology, the sources said.
After Sen made these remarks in an interview with a portal, most MPs demanded his immediate recall
and his presentation before the Bar of the House.
Though he later clarified the comments weren’t directed at the MPs but journalists, the explanation did little to pacify the angry Parliamentarians.
Such was the furore in Parliament that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was forced into assuring
that if the remarks were quoted “correctly”, they were "unwarranted and unacceptable" and that action would be taken.
"My comment about running round like headless chicken 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 honourable MP," Sen said in a message which was read out by Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha the same day. "However, if I have unwittingly hurt any sentiments, I offer my unqualified apologies," Sen said.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has now given its response to the notice, suggesting that the matter be treated as closed.
(With PTI inputs)
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