New Delhi:
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has come out and defended himself after wading into yet another controversy, where he was reported to have done the unthinkable in the Congress - criticise Gandhi and Nehru's foreign policy.
Tharoor said he had been misquoted, which is why he was being misjudged. (Watch: I was misquoted, says Shashi Tharoor)
"At no stage did I say what the newspapers today have claimed. I was summarising what other speakers had said. You misreport me, so clearly people are going to misjudge me. My remarks were distorted. Irresponsible reporting may gratify some seeking sensationalism," said Tharoor, adding, "This is not merely unprofessional, it is dishonest. I'm issuing a statement and demanding a retraction."
At a talk by British Labour MP Bhikhu Parekh in New Delhi on Friday, Tharoor was reported to have said: "The way in which Indian foreign policy drew from our founding fathers' sense of our civilisational heritage, extraordinary contribution of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru to the articulation of that civilisational heritage, the manner in which that both enhanced India's standing in the world, and gave us the negative reputation for conducting foreign policy as a sort of moralistic running commentary on other people's behaviour. All of that I think has come through very very clearly in your description of the historical underpinnings of our background and our experience."
This prompted a sharp response from the Congress, which in the past, has publicly corrected the 53-year-old minister over his blunt comments on Twitter. (Read: Government reacts to Tharoor's Tweets) A spokesperson was quoted as saying: "It will take some time for Tharoor to understand Gandhi and Nehru in proper perspective."
Nevertheless, the party has given Tharoor the benefit of doubt. After his press conference, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "The Minister has clarified that he was quoted out of context. The party has nothing to add."
But Shashi Tharoor ensured he had the last word, with characteristic flair: "India deserves better, so, frankly, do I."
Tharoor said he had been misquoted, which is why he was being misjudged. (Watch: I was misquoted, says Shashi Tharoor)
"At no stage did I say what the newspapers today have claimed. I was summarising what other speakers had said. You misreport me, so clearly people are going to misjudge me. My remarks were distorted. Irresponsible reporting may gratify some seeking sensationalism," said Tharoor, adding, "This is not merely unprofessional, it is dishonest. I'm issuing a statement and demanding a retraction."
At a talk by British Labour MP Bhikhu Parekh in New Delhi on Friday, Tharoor was reported to have said: "The way in which Indian foreign policy drew from our founding fathers' sense of our civilisational heritage, extraordinary contribution of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru to the articulation of that civilisational heritage, the manner in which that both enhanced India's standing in the world, and gave us the negative reputation for conducting foreign policy as a sort of moralistic running commentary on other people's behaviour. All of that I think has come through very very clearly in your description of the historical underpinnings of our background and our experience."
This prompted a sharp response from the Congress, which in the past, has publicly corrected the 53-year-old minister over his blunt comments on Twitter. (Read: Government reacts to Tharoor's Tweets) A spokesperson was quoted as saying: "It will take some time for Tharoor to understand Gandhi and Nehru in proper perspective."
Nevertheless, the party has given Tharoor the benefit of doubt. After his press conference, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "The Minister has clarified that he was quoted out of context. The party has nothing to add."
But Shashi Tharoor ensured he had the last word, with characteristic flair: "India deserves better, so, frankly, do I."
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