Oct. 19: After some media reports suggesting that environment minister Jairam Ramesh had written a letter to PM Manmohan Singh on the climate change issue, Mr Ramesh met Dr Singh to clarify his stand.
Sources in the ministry said Mr Ramesh met the PM in the late afternoon. Reports had quoted a letter written by Mr Ramesh to the Prime Minister in which he had reportedly suggested that India should move away from the Kyoto Protocol, delink itself from G-77 and permit external scrutiny to check measures reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Meanwhile, the main Opposition BJP asked the Centre to clarify India’s stand on the climate change issue. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said: "If what the report has suggested is true, then this change in position would completely breaks the unity of developing countries, It would also undermine India’s credibility as a leader of the developing nations even in the WTO talks."
Mr Jaitley said the direct consequences of this "altered position would be that India would be undertaking commitments and paying the price for pollution caused by the developed countries."