External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Thursday misunderstood a question regarding detention of an octogenarian Pakistan citizen in an Indian jail by responding that the government had taken up the case with Islamabad, leading to intervention by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The gaffe occurred after Shivanand Tiwari (Janata Dal-United) asked a supplementary to a question of Indians in Pakistani jails and sought to know steps being taken in the case of an elderly person in Ajmer jail, a case in which the Prime Minister had shown interest.
In his response, Mr. Krishna said this “particular person'' whom he later identified as Dr. Chishty, is detained in Pakistan. He said during the recent visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister to India, in general both sides talked about these questions.
The External Affairs Minister continued to state that the question needs to be considered by the Government of Pakistan on humanitarian grounds since the detained person is confined to a wheelchair and is 80 plus.
Mr. Krishna said he was sure that the Government of Pakistan would take a lenient view about “this particular case'' and added that New Delhi would pursue it at the level of High Commissioner.
He then went on to state the 2008 India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners arrangement, which last met during April this year, where all such cases do come up and the government would see that the case mentioned by the member is pursued.
Brinda Karat (CPI-M) pointed out that the Minister had actually misunderstood the question and was talking about someone else when it should refer to Dr. [Mohammed Khalil] Chishty who is locked up in India.
At this time, Dr. Singh, who was present in the House since on Thursday questions pertaining to the Prime Minister's Office are taken up, intervened to state that Dr. Chishty is serving a prison sentence in Rajasthan and on receiving a request he had contacted the Home Minister, who in turn has been corresponding with the Rajasthan government and “further results are yet to be received.''
Dr. Chishty was sentenced in December 1992 for life in a murder case while he was on a visit to India to see his mother. Spotlight was turned on the issue when the Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju made a personal appeal to the Prime Minister seeking his release on humanitarian grounds since the prisoner was a heart patient with a hip fracture.
Thiru Krishna's gaffes are becoming a flood. Time he stands down as a minister; and indeed as honourable member of the Lok Sabha.
Mr.Krishna is prone to many such gaffes and many would recall the infamous UN security council episode in which he mistakenly started reading the speech of the Portuguese foreign minister.It's time as per our Indian culture to appoint him to certain ceremonial positions like the State Governor's post.
It is unfortunate enough that our parliament is infested with elements that cannot spell or know the meaning of the words conducting business and decorum and taxpayers money wasted but now to add salt to the wounds we the people who have to put up with an pandemonium on a daily basis - so much that even the minister of external affairs Mr Krishna could easily get confused on a question addressed to him.
Mr Krishna should first listen what actually the question is,then only he should respond to it.This will send a wrong message in public regarding the government seriousness.Earlier also he made a mistake by reading the speech of foreign minister of Portugal.
We have such a foreign minister who does not know the fact. This is the second time he has made a mess.
One more time, M. E. A. Mr. Krishna slips. Earlier, he was reported to have read a copy of Poland country's brief albeit misplaced in United Nations address. Now, comes in Loksabha. May be the minister needs 'Memory' refresher course
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