PM raps Jairam Ramesh for his statement on Chinese investments

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress on Monday rapped environment minister Jairam Ramesh on the knuckles for his criticism of the home ministry’s stand on Chinese investments.

Prime Minister’s Office, which advertised Mr Singh’s unhappiness with the minister, said Mr Ramesh was told to exercise maximum restraint while commenting on the functioning of other ministries.

PMO sources said Mr Singh, who spoke Mr Ramesh soon after his return from Beijing, bluntly told him that it was “advisable for Cabinet colleagues not to make comments on the functioning of other ministries, especially with regard to relationship with important neighbours like China.”

An angry Congress, too, publicised its unease with the statements of the loose-lipped minister. “The prime minister and the PMO have clarified that they have not appreciated the minister’s comment on other ministers and the working of other ministries when on foreign soil. The Congress endorses this view,” said Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi. He also said that “there should be no occasion to air opinion on other ministries even within the country”. The spokesman also reminded the minister that “there are enough fora and opportunity within the party and the government to state his views.”

These developments come in the backdrop of critical remarks made by Mr Ramesh against the home ministry’s approach towards Chinese companies. Mr Ramesh, who appeared to entertain an extravagant view of his ministerial responsibilities, told a gathering at China that New Delhi should be much more relaxed in its approach to Chinese investments into the country and get rid of “needless” restrictions adding “we are imagining demons where there are none.”

Mr Ramesh, who slammed the home ministry’s policies, had described them as ‘paranoid’ and ‘alarmist’ in response to the government’s decision of banning the import of telecom equipment from Chinese firm Huawei for installation in border areas because of security concerns.

Suggesting that India should be more open and receptive to investments and technology from the neighbouring country, Mr Ramesh said the spirit of co-operation evolved at Copenhagen between the prime ministers of the two Asian giants should be taken forward.

On Sunday, home Secretary G K Pillai had rubbished reports of a bias against China saying there was no discrimination from the government’s side and it was wrong to say that the security establishment was biased against the Chinese. On its part, the external affairs ministry said that it will go with the views of the security agencies on the issue of investments by Chinese telecom companies.

The Opposition also seized upon the comments of Mr Ramesh to drive home its point that “collective responsibility of the Cabinet” is an “alien concept” for the Manmohan Singh team. “The comments of Ramesh in a foreign country which were critical of the government are highly objectionable. It is unbecoming of a Union minister. The prime minister owes an explanation the internal squabbling within ministers and take action against him,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

The BJP spokesman said that Mr Ramesh has given the “most bizarre” explanation for his comments that ties between India and China developed will suffer if the security guidelines on import Chinese telecom equipment are not revised. “He is speaking like a lobbyist. We appreciate the home ministry’s apprehensions against Chinese companies,” he said.