BJP insists on recall of Sen

New Delhi, Aug 22 (UNI) The BJP today reiterated its demand that India's Ambassador to the United States Ronen Sen be recalled and summoned before the full House of Lok Sabha and admonished for his ''irresponsible'' statement criticising the opponents of the Indo-US Nuclear deal.

''Mr Sen as an ambassador of the country has crossed all limits,'' BJP spokespersons Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Ms Sushma Swaraj said.

The BJP, Ms Swaraj said, wanted that the Lok Sabha be converted into the Privilege Committee which should admonish Mr Sen for describing the Parliament debate on the deal as a mere ''drama'' and stating that no American president could be as friendly to India as Mr George Bush. ''He crossed all his limits.'' She justified the adjournment forced in the Rajya Sabha and later staging a walk-out when the House reassembled over the issue, saying that they were expecting a clarification from the Government on Mr Sen's utterances, particularly in the light of new revelation that he had said every thing on record.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had read out in the House yesterday, the clarification he had received from Mr Sen that his remark ''headless chickens'' was off the record and meant for the mediapersons not against the Members of Parliament.

''Our objection is not just against the remark but on the whole statement which he as a bureaucrat should have not made,'' the BJP leaders said.

Mr Malhotra said the Lok Sabha was unanimous, including members from the Treasury benches, that Mr Sen be recalled. He said the Opposition Parties would wait for Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's observation on the matter and then decide its future course of action.

UNI