Comments on country’s security measures: Indian Minister in trouble

Dipin Damodharan May 11, 2010

Dipin Damodharan

Environment and Forests Minister (India) Jairam Ramesh is again in the news, this time entirely for the wrong reason. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, pulled up Jairam for his critical comments against Home Ministry in relation to China. PM asked him not to speak about functioning of other ministries. Is it enough? Why the Prime Minister of India is hesitant to ask for the Environment Minister’s resignation? Let us have a close look on the statements made by Jairam Ramesh.

The Prime Minister's message to the environment minister arrived two days after the comments made by Jairam Ramesh in Beijing that the home ministry was overly defensive and alarmist in its approach towards entry of Chinese companies in India.

Ramesh, while talking about the India-China friendliness developed during the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change, had suggested that the home ministry needed to be much more relaxed in its approach to Chinese investments in India. On Saturday (May 08), Ramesh had also said that the security establishment was putting needless restrictions on Chinese investments in India as we are imagining demons where there are none.

Ramesh made these comments in the context of recent reports that India had banned import of telecom equipment from major Chinese firm Huawei, especially in the border areas following security concerns.

Manmohan Singh told Ramesh that it was advisable for Cabinet colleagues not to make comments on the functioning of other ministries, in particular with regard to relationship with important neighbors like China.

Even the Congress party is unhappy over Ramesh’s immature remarks. A senior Congress leader said, "An adverse comment against the policy and functioning of a ministry as sensitive as home affairs that, too in a foreign land, cannot be justified. If there are differences of opinion over an issue, these have to be resolved at party meeting.” The major opposition party BJP also cries for Jairam’s resignation.

But Jairam Ramesh declined to comment on his controversial remarks in Beijing criticizing the Indian government's policy towards Chinese companies. He does not admit his mistake.

A central Minister openly criticized the Home ministry of his own country, openly snubbed the security measures taken by the country, that too in a foreign land. How can the Government tolerate this? Jairam has lost moral authority to remain as a Minister. So the Prime Minister should take immediate actions to expel Jairam Ramesh from the Central Ministry.