PM sends Brown a letter on Miliband,Mandelson gets Delhi cold shoulder

Mandelson,however,met Commerce Minister Kamal Nath it was conveyed to him that the visit’s profile could have been “different” had it not followed Miliband’s controversial remarks.

New Delhi’s discomfiture with Miliband was made public by Minister of State (Commerce) Jairam Ramesh who didn’t want to go for a CII event where Mandelson was going to participate on Monday. “I didn’t feel like going. So I spoke to Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday afternoon and asked whether I should attend,since the MEA had expressed strong views on Miliband’s style and substance. He said let me think about it,and then he called back after 2-3 hours and told me you should go and make your point,” Ramesh said.

New Delhi is clearly upset with Miliband’s “arrogant” behaviour which has evoked sharp reactions. The MEA even said it didn’t need “unsolicited advice” and that his views were “evolving”.

Mandelson,who is visiting Delhi,Pune and Mumbai,has a business delegation which has representation from various sectors including civil nuclear players such as AMEC and Rolls Royce,infrastructure companies such as Arup and Benoy and the world’s largest law firm,Clifford Chance. Cairn Energy,GKN,Vodafone and Standard Chartered are also part of the delegation.