NEW DELHI, May 10 � Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh was today reprimanded by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as the Congress for his comments against the Home Ministry over approach towards Chinese companies even as Opposition BJP demanded action against him, reports PTI.
Strongly disapproving of Ramesh�s remarks made in Beijing two days back, Singh spoke to him soon after his return this morning and told him that he should not have commented on functioning of other ministries.
Singh told Ramesh that it was �advisable for Cabinet colleagues not to make comments on the functioning of other ministries, especially with regard to relationship with important neighbours like China,� PMO sources said.
The Prime Minister�s blunt message to the Environment Ministry came on his comment in Beijing that the Home Ministry was �overly defensive� and �alarmist� in its approach towards entry of Chinese companies in India.
�There is no confusion in our policies towards China and we continue to strive for constructive engagement with Beijing,� Singh told Ramesh.
The Environment Minister today refused to comment when referred to the controversy created by his remarks.
Ramesh, while talking in Beijing about the India-China warmth 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.
He had said that the security establishment was putting �needless� restrictions on Chinese investments in India as �we are imagining demons where there are none�.
The Home Ministry also snubbed Ramesh, saying, �It is wrong to say that the security establishment was biased against the Chinese companies.
�Chinese companies are already present in India in a big way. They are working in a variety of sectors, including in telecommunications sector. I don�t think there is any discrimination happening from the government�s side,� Home Secretary GK Pillai said.
