Congress says Jairam Ramesh best person to explain remarks on IIMs

Congress today left environment minister Jairam Ramesh to fend for himself over the controversy surrounding his remarks that faculty of the premier IITs and IIMs are "not world class", but attacked BJP for its scathing criticism on the issue.

"I do not know in what context and what circumstances Jairam Ramesh has made the remarks. Whether it has been taken in context or out of context, he is the best person to be really be able to answer this question," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters at the AICC briefing.

"So far as IIM and IITs are concerned, there is no question or ambiguity about their contribution to Indian academia and even to building some of the primest institutions around the world."

He was responding to questions on the remarks of Ramesh, which has evoked strong reactions from the academia and the main opposition party BJP.

Lambasting Ramesh for his remarks, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said: "We cannot have world institutions unless we have world class ministers."

Terming the BJP's remarks as "naive", Tewari said: "We do not appreciate unsolicited advice from third class people as to who should be first class or who should be third class."