Tharoor speaks, then thinks & tweets

NEW DELHI: A loose lipped Shashi Tharoor on Sunday once again landed the Manmohan Singh government in a first rate controversy when he said Saudi Arabia can be “valuable interlocutor” in improving India’s ties with Pakistan. The statement of Mr Tharoor, who is part of the prime minister’s delegation currently in Saudi Arabia, runs counter to the India’s established position against any third party mediation in Indo-Pak relations.

“We feel Saudi Arabia has a long and close relationship with Pakistan and that makes Saudi a more valuable interlocutor to us,” Mr Tharoor told journalists accompanying the prime minister. Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s most influential country, was the first to recognise the then Taliban regime in Kabul in the mid-90s and enjoys enormous leverage with Pakistan.

A cornered Mr Tharoor quickly took to twitter and sought to draw a ridiculous distinction between interlocutors and mediators. “Good day of meetings, marred by some Indian media by misunderstanding of word interlocutor. An interlocutor is someone you speak to, nothing more. If I speak to you, you are my interlocutor! I mentioned the Saudis as our interlocutors, i.e. the people we are here to speak to. Some misinterpretation,” Mr Tharoor tweeted.

But this will not help him wriggle out was evident when BJP and the Left demanded an explanation from the prime minister. BJP condemned the statement describing it as “utterly irresponsible” while the Left said it created confusion on India’s position. “Has the statement been made with the consent of the prime minister? Is this a trial balloon?” BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad asked. He pointed out that the comment was made while he was part of the official delegation accompanying the prime minister on his visit to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Prasad said that from the time of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, all talks with Pakistan were bilateral. “There has been no third party mediation. Tharoor’s remarks are an insult to India’s sovereignty. We will seek a clarification from the prime minister in Parliament,” he said. The BJP leader also said these comments have come close on the heels of the foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan and the attack targeted at Indians in Kabul.

“This is an irresponsible statement creating confusion. This one is deviating from India’s stated position that no third party intervention is allowed in Indo-Pak relations,” CPI’s D Raja said. He said the prime minister owes an explanation to the nation and Parliament on whether there has been any shift in India’s stand on Indo-Pak issues.

Congress, which is apprehending an Opposition onslaught over Mr Tharoor’s remarks said the party was against any third party mediation. “India’s position on no to third party mediation on Indo-Pak issues remains unchanged. There is no change in the Congress’ position,” party leaders here said.