Congress tells Tharoor not to speak out of turn - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Congress Party on Tuesday asked Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor not to speak out of turn and refrain himself from commenting on contentious issues, said sources. According to sources, Tharoor assured the party that he would adopt a measured and balanced approach in future. Congress party later expressed satisfaction at Tharoor's assurance. "The party and government are completely satisfied with the explanation given by Tharoor," Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters here. Diwedi today summoned Tharoor at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi about his "Interlocutor" comment made in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Congress party reportedly wanted Tharoor's explanation on his comment that has been viewed as a paradigm shift on Indian foreign policy. While accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his three-day (Feb.27 to March 1) visit, Tharoor had stated that Saudi Arabia could be a 'valuable interlocutor' between India and Pakistan. Seeking an explanation from the Prime Minister, the main Opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party, had mounted pressure about the remark.