Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, under the spotlight for his reported observations on Jawaharlal Nehru, Sunday morning called a press conference to say that sections of the media were doing a disservice to the country with “inaccurate, dishonest, irresponsible and tendentious reporting”.
Mr. Tharoor said Saturday evening that while Nehru’s foreign policy had taken India to a new level in the international arena, the criticism was that it amounted to a “moralistic running commentary on other countries’ behaviour”. Mr. Tharoor, however, clarified that he was merely summarising the views of Lord Parekh – who was the previous speaker at the Indian Council for World Affairs.
Tharoor spoke after British MP, Lord Bhikhu Parekh delivered a lecture at the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA), during which he said Nehru’s policies presented India in a light of “moral self-righteousness”. Clarifying his remarks, Tharoor said: “It was a summary as chairman are supposed to do of remarks made by speakers,” he said.
Mr. Tharoor advised the media to be more careful and contextual in its reporting. “My remarks have been distorted. I am pained at the inaccurate reporting,” Mr. Tharoor said.
’India should be seen as a serious player in world affairs, including in the world of ideas,” and said unless there was free and frank discussion on various aspects of Indian foreign policy in institutions like the ICWA, it would defeat the very purpose of establishment of such institutions.
