Tharoor backed by UPA - in his controversial talks

Congress today backed Union minister Shashi Tharoor, who had sparked a controversy by saying Saudi Arabia can be an interlocutor between India and Pakistan, saying he had said nothing about mediation.

"It is totally false. What Tharoor had said has nothing to do with mediation (between India and Pakistan). What prime minister had clarified and what Tharoor said there is no room for any controversy," AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters.


The AICC general secretary's statement came after the minister of state for external affairs had an hour-long meeting with him. Party sources hoped there would not be any more controversy arising out of the statements of the minister.


While Dwivedi downplayed the meeting saying it was planned a week back before Tharoor's visit to Saudi Arabia, the fact was that it came a day before Parliament resumes when the opposition plans to raise the matter.


After the meeting, Tharoor did not answer queries from reporters and was seen cheerful.


The meeting with Dwivedi, who heads the Media Department of the AICC, was seen as an exercise to tell the union minister that he needed to be discreet in his statements and actions in view of the fact that the former UN official is a new entrant to politics.


"There is no question of backing or not backing Tharoor. Whatever Tharoor has said and the prime minister explained, there is no scope for any confusion. The minister has not taken any different stand", Dwivedi said.


He sidestepped a question whether the party would advise the minister not to tweet in order to avoid controversies.


In comments that evoked strong condemnation from BJP and CPI, Tharoor had said "we feel that Saudi Arabia of course has a long and close relationship with Pakistan but that makes Saudi Arabia even a more valuable interlocutor for us."


Tharoor was then accompanying prime minister Manmohan Singh on a three-day visit to the oil-rich kingdom.


Accusing UPA of shifting from established foreign policy principles of resolving issues with Pakistan bilaterally, BJP today said it would seek answers from government on the issue in Parliament during the ongoing budget session.