Riyadh, February 28: Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Sunday stated here that a section of media had misread his remarks about Saudi Arabia being a potential interlocutor for India in its relations with Pakistan.
Tharoor issued the statement of clarification here Sunday after his remarks to the media that Saudi Arabia was a potential interlocutor for India created a mini-storm in political circles back home.
“A section of the media has misread the remarks made by me in Riyadh last (Saturday) evening,” Tharoor said in the statement.
“What I basically said was that Saudi Arabia is a valuable interlocutor for India. Any other interpretation was neither meant nor warranted,” he added.
The remarks were viewed by the ruling Congress party as well as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as implying ‘mediation’ by Saudi Arabia, and were immediaetly opposed.
–Agencies