Tweeting minister upsets boss
India's Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has upset his senior SM Krishna by questioning tightening of Indian visa norms by tweeting on the micro-blogging site Twitter.
Writing in his account in Twitter, Tharoor questioned the recent tightening of Indian visa rules in the backdrop of the controversy over American terror suspect David Coleman Headley, arrested on the charge of plotting attacks in India, being given tourist visa.
"26/11 (Mumbai terror attack on November 26, 2008) killers had no visa. Wondering whether the tightening of the visa norms for foreign nationals made sense at all and if it would actually protect security."
"Is all that worth it just in hope of making it difficult for a future Headley to recee? R we going 2 allow terrorists 2 make us less welcoming?" Tharoor wrote in his Twitter account on Saturday.
The remarks by Tharoor came just days after the government, including the External Affairs Ministry, has already announced relaxation in the visa rules easing the two-month "cool-off" period for foreigners with multiple-entry long-term visas.
The relaxation was made last week to guidelines issued on November 4 this year which had required foreigners holding long-term multiple-entry visas to be out of India for two months before re-entering the country.
The relaxation was announced after the External Affairs Ministry had taken up the issue with the Home Ministry in the face of protests from a number of countries, including the United States and Britain.
Noting that visa arrangements were reciprocal, Tharoor said "the more restrictive we become, the tougher it will be for Indians to travel freely."
He also said the revised visa norms would discourage "tourism and goodwill."
Responding to Tharoor's remarks on visas rule changes, Krishna told reporters here on Monday that "perceptions" should not be discussed in public but within the "four walls" of the government.
"If there are any perceptions, then I think these should be sorted out within the four walls of the ministry," Krishna added.
He said, "the business of government is far too serious and has to be conducted in a manner in which we decide."
This was the second time that Tharoor had sparked a controversy through his comments on a government policy. Earlier this year, he had ignited a controversy by commenting on the Finance Ministry's austerity directive for ministers staying in five-star hotels and flying by business class.
Tharoor had referred to the government's directive for economy class travel by air as "cattle class" and invited the wrath of the country's political class including his own party the Congress.
Faced with the storm, Tharoor had then clarified that his "cattle class" were intended to be a joke and he apologised for that. He was also told by Congress leadership, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, to be mindful of the language he uses in Twitter.
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