Chidambaram’s ‘south v/s north’ remark rocks Parliament
26 Mar 2011
Home minister P Chidambaram came under fire in both houses of Parliament on Friday for his reported remark that India would have made more progress if it comprised only the southern and western parts.
In both the Houses, members said home minister's remark is "against national unity". Many MPs demanded his removal as union home minister over the remark, apparently made during a conversation with US ambassador Timothy Roemer in 2009 and revealed by WikiLeaks.
Chidambaram, however, denounced the alleged diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks. "Don't dignify the cables. But if you want me to comment, I denounce the cables," he said.
According to reports, the minister made the contentious observation when Roemer made an "introductory" call on him after taking charge from David Mulford. An English daily that published the report says, "In passing, wrote Roemer, Chidambaram commented on the 'vast disparity' between southern India - which he called 'the entrepreneurial and business hub' - and the rest of the country.
"The minister concluded that India could achieve 11-12 per cent growth if it were the south and west only, noting that the rest of the country 'held it back'."
However, the report added, "The home minister praised the chief ministers of Bihar, Orissa and Punjab, all of them non-Congress leaders."
