'Action on privilege motion against Ronen Sen soon'

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Thursday said he would take a decision soon on the privilege motion against Indian envoy to the US, Ronen Sen, in connection with his purported remark equating MPs with "headless chickens".

"I have got the replies (from Sen and Ministry of External Affairs). I have not been able to go through these. I will take a decision soon," the Speaker said in the House when members asked what happened to the issue.

Sen has offered "sincere and unqualified apology" in response to a privilege notice given by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, sources said.

He was given the notice after members from most of the non-Congress parties slammed him for his reported "derogatory" remark in connection with the controversy over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

Many of them demanded the Ambassador's immediate recall and his presentation before the Bar of the House so that he be reprimanded.

The Ambassador has given "clarifications" over the remarks attributed to him along with the apology, the sources said.

The MEA has also given its response to the notice, suggesting that the matter be treated as closed. It has suggested that the issue may not be pursued further as Sen has already apologised, the sources said.