New Delhi:
The issue of emails between Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Mike Froman, the US Deputy National Security Advisor has just got a little more controversial.
On Thursday, Mike Froman has reacted to the row saying , "With regard to recent reports about my private correspondence with Mr Ahluwalia, I want to make it clear I was not making any link between what are two distinct issues, nor issuing a 'threat' of any sort. Any assertion to the contrary is absolutely wrong, both in intent and in fact."
He also said, "I am dismayed to think that anything I wrote could be interpreted as minimizing the toll of the Bhopal disaster. The human suffering as a result of Bhopal is a terrible tragedy. Resolving the Bhopal issue is for the Indian people to decide. The United States does not seek to interfere in this process."
Last month Montek Singh Ahluwalia wrote to Mr Froman, who chairs the India-US Economic dialogue with him, to support India's demand at the world bank for an increase in India's limit for loans
Montek Singh Ahluwalia told NDTV that there had been no pressure on India, despite an email from Mr Froman which said " there is a lot of concern about the noise around Dow.We hope this does not have a chilling effect on the investment relationship"
The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission told NDTV that he did not repond to that part of Froman's mail and that the govt did not change its position on pressing for Dow's liability in the Bhopal gas leak case. However Left, and BJP leaders are still seeking clarifications, as reports emerge of another email from Ahluwalia to Pulok Chatterjee, the Executive Director of the World Bank
In that email, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, while agreeing that quid pro quos are not unknown, conceded that meeting the demand on Dow could be difficult. "There is always a quid pro quo though I fear on this we are helpless," Mr Ahluwalia wrote to Mr Chatterjee on July 30.
On Thursday, Mike Froman has reacted to the row saying , "With regard to recent reports about my private correspondence with Mr Ahluwalia, I want to make it clear I was not making any link between what are two distinct issues, nor issuing a 'threat' of any sort. Any assertion to the contrary is absolutely wrong, both in intent and in fact."
He also said, "I am dismayed to think that anything I wrote could be interpreted as minimizing the toll of the Bhopal disaster. The human suffering as a result of Bhopal is a terrible tragedy. Resolving the Bhopal issue is for the Indian people to decide. The United States does not seek to interfere in this process."
Last month Montek Singh Ahluwalia wrote to Mr Froman, who chairs the India-US Economic dialogue with him, to support India's demand at the world bank for an increase in India's limit for loans
Montek Singh Ahluwalia told NDTV that there had been no pressure on India, despite an email from Mr Froman which said " there is a lot of concern about the noise around Dow.We hope this does not have a chilling effect on the investment relationship"
The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission told NDTV that he did not repond to that part of Froman's mail and that the govt did not change its position on pressing for Dow's liability in the Bhopal gas leak case. However Left, and BJP leaders are still seeking clarifications, as reports emerge of another email from Ahluwalia to Pulok Chatterjee, the Executive Director of the World Bank
In that email, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, while agreeing that quid pro quos are not unknown, conceded that meeting the demand on Dow could be difficult. "There is always a quid pro quo though I fear on this we are helpless," Mr Ahluwalia wrote to Mr Chatterjee on July 30.
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