Jairam lobbying for Chinese cos: BJP

Asked if the party was also demanding his resignation,he said,We expect the Prime Minister to act. We will ask (for his resignation) if he (the PM) doesnt act.

A Union minister criticising the government position on foreign land is not only rare but also untenable. He went to the extent of calling government policies as alarmist and paranoid.

Can he disregard the allocation of business rules by the Environment Ministry disregarding the policy of the Home Ministry? asked Javadekar.

Accusing Jairam of coming up with bizarre logic of arguing that the cordial ties with China,arrived at after the recent Copenhagen talks,should not be spoilt by these alarmist policies towards them,the BJP spokesperson said this did not behove a Union minister.

This also concerns the image of the Prime Minister, said the BJP spokesperson,asking the PM to act in the matter.

The BJP also said when the Chinese were trying to hack into sensitive defence data and were posing a security threat to the country,it was unbecoming on the part of Jairam to make statements like the ones he made in China.

What the minister said in Beijing

On Indian policies towards Chinese companies

The Home Ministry is overly defensive,alarmist and paranoid while dealing with Chinese companies investing in India,especially those operating in telecom sector.

India should get rid of the needless restrictions on Chinese investments. We are imagining demons where there are none and the Copenhagen spirit will disappear itself.

Even in the power sector there have been controversies about Chinese participation. So unless we become much more relaxed in our approach to Chinese investments in India,I am afraid the Copenhagen spirit may not last long.

Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) is totally gung-ho about it (good relations with China). It is a joint venture between Singh and (Chinese Premier) Wen Jiabao. National Security Advisor and Ministry of External Affairs are fully backing this. People who have the questions are the Home Ministry and the security establishment.

China is implementing projects worth over $30 billion but unfortunately the controversy over Huawei has overshadowed the whole issue of Chinese investments.

Huawei is creating assets in India,hiring Indian professionals. Over 80 per cent of its employees are Indians. Assets are being created in India.

We have a huge trade deficit with China. But we are still suspicious of Chinese investment in India.

On India having saved China from getting isolated at Copenhagen

Chinese leaders continue to harp on Copenhagen spirit because we were critical to China during the climate negotiations. At the Copenhagen talks,the Chinese,in their heart of hearts,know we saved them from isolation. It is not an exaggeration to say that the top Chinese leadership acknowledges the Copenhagen spirit,and the cooperation between India and China,as a very positive outcome.

Given our English skills and our more cussedness in negotiating skills we bailed the Chinese out of many a difficult situation. Chinese know India was absolutely essential for the fact that China did not get isolated at Copenhagen.

Had the agreement with (US President Barack) Obama not signed he would have gone back to the US and painted China as a villain. The fact that he signed (the Copenhagen Accord) gave Chinese a way out. They (the Chinese) realise that.