No comments, says Jairam Ramesh on Shyam Saran's resignation

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh today refused to comment on reports that Shyam Saran, the prime minister's special envoy on climate change, quit following differences with him.
     
"I have no comments to make," Ramesh said here.

The announcement about Saran's departure from the PMO was made yesterday amid reports that his serious differences with Ramesh on the approach to climate change negotiations was a key factor behind the decision.
     
64-year-old Saran had declined to go into the reasons for his decision.
     
Former diplomat Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, a key negotiator in Saran's team, felt that his departure was unfortunate.

"Saran did an excellent job as chief negotiator and articulated India's position very clearly in the climate talks," he said.

Saran, Dasgupta and another member of the negotiating team had met prime minister Manmohan Singh last year and offered to quit after Ramesh had reportedly suggested that India junk the Kyoto Protocol and take on greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments.

Saran was said to have been opposed to the minister's move for a voluntary declaration on reducing the intensity of emissions ahead of the climate summit in Copenhagen in December last year.