Tharoor meets Sonia, PM, Pranab: Party asks him to be cautious

New Delhi, Sept 22 (PTI) Union Minister Shashi Tharoor,
who has been at the centre of a controversy over his "cattle
class" remark, Tuesday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and
Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh to give his explanation
and was asked to be cautious in his comments and actions.

Soon after his return from Liberia and Ghana where he was
on an official visit, Tharoor met Gandhi amid demands for his
resignation as Minister of State for External Affairs.

Later he met Singh and senior Congress leader and Finance
Minister of India Pranab Mukherjee.

He is understood to have given an explanation about his
comment on social networking site 'Twitter' where he had
dubbed economy class travel as "cattle class".

A glum-faced Tharoor did not speak to waiting
mediapersons after his meetings with Gandhi and Mukherjee.

Party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed later said "any
well-wisher of the party, Government and Tharoor will advise
him to desist from any comments or action even jokingly that
would hurt the sentiments of the common man."

Tharoor's comment, made just before he embarked on the
six-day tour of Liberia and Ghana on September 16, had drawn a
strong rebuke from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot even demanded his
resignation, following which the party said "appropriate
action" would be taken at "appropriate time". (MORE) PTI