Parliament privileges panels summon Ronen Sen

New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) India's ambassaddor to the US Ronen Sen has been summoned before the Privileges Committees of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on October 29 and on November 2 respectively for his controversial ''headless chickens'' remarks about detectors of the Indo-US nuclear deal, sources said today.

The decision to summon him before the Privileges Committee of the Rajya Sabha was taken recently at a meeting presided over by Deputy Chairman of Upper House K Rahman Khan.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had referred the issue to the Committee sometime ago after receipt of a reply by the External Affairs Ministry to which Mr Sen had expressed unqualified apology for the remarks, the sources added.

In view of the strong feelings of the MPs on the issue, the Speaker and also the Rajya Sabha Chairman had referred it to the Privileges Committees.

The 15-member Lok Sabha Privileges Committee is headed by Congress MP V Kishore Chandra Deo.

Mr Sen is the first diplomat to be summoned by Parliament's Privileges Committees.

UNI