Ronen issues clarification; Rediff stands by its report

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen today clarified that his comment about ''running round like headless chicken'' was a ''tactless'' observation on some of his media friends and not about MPs, and offered an unqualified apology if it had hurt anyone's sentiments.

Mr Sen, whose remark unleashed tumult in Parliament, said a number of his comments were ''either misunderstood or misquoted or quoted out of context.'' The clarification was sent to Rediff India Abroad, a news portal to whom Mr Sen gave an interview yesterday.

''It was certainly not my intention to cast aspersion on any individual or organization. However, if I have unwittingly hurt any sentiments, I offer my unqualified apologies,'' he said.

Mr Sen, who played a key role in the formulation and negotiation of the 123 civilian nuclear agreement with the US, said his comment about ''running round like headless chicken looking for a comment here or comment there'' was a tactless observation on some of his media friends, and ''most certainly not with reference to any Hon'ble Member of Parliament.'' Rediff India Abroad had published the interview, titled 'We will have zero credibility', which was given to its Managing Director Aziz Haniffa.

The interview, which was lapped up by a section of the Indian media in today's edition, provided ammunition to the BJP and Left members, who disrupted Parliament's proceedings.

In his clarificatory statement, Mr Sen said he had received several queries about a report datelined Washington DC, by Mr Haniffa of Rediff India Abroad, which quoted him extensively on the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement.

''I had an off-the-record conversation with the correspondent giving some assessments on this subject. A number of the comments were, however, either misunderstood or misquoted or quoted out of context.'' For instance, Mr Sen pointed out that he did not say that the Hyde Act could not be renegotiated, but said that the bilateral agreement could not, in his view, be renegotiated.

''With reference to the Hyde Act, I had expressed my assessment it would not be amended in the foreseeable future,'' he said.

Mr Sen said some of the comments attributed to him in this off-the-record conversation were, however, made by him in his personal capacity and did not reflect the positions of the government.

''I fully recognize that such personal views, even in a private conversation, should have been expressed with better judgement and due decorum.

''For instance, my comment about 'running round like headless chicken looking for a comment here or comment there' was a tactless observation on some of my media friends, and most certainly not with reference to any Hon'ble Member of Parliament.

Replying to the clarification, Mr Haniffa, however, said ''Ambassador Ronen Sen made these comments when I called him by phone on Sunday (August 19) morning at his residence to get his thoughts on the debate in New Delhi over the US-India civilian nuclear agreement and the recent accord reached by India and the United States on the 123 Agreement.'' He also said that at no point of the conversation did the ambassador specify that it was off-the-record or even on background.

''I have had a very good relationship with Ambassador Sen ever since he was posted in Washington, and we regularly talk to each other on various aspects of the US-India relationship, and whenever he has said a conversation is off-the-record or on background, I have always honored these ground rules.

''But on this occasion, I repeat, he did not specify that our conversation was off-the-record or on background, and hence, I unambiguously and unequivocally stand by my report and state categorically that nothing in it was either deliberate, malicious or misunderstood or misquoted, because I have nothing but the highest respect for him.'' UNI