But neither the Opposition nor the Left was buying this. Sitaram Yechury said in the Rajya Sabha that “the next logical step should follow...this gentleman cannot represent India in the US”.

Sen, however, claimed that many of the comments were either “misunderstood or misquoted or quoted out of context” and that some were an “off-the-record” conversation in his “personal capacity” not reflecting “the positions of the government”.

Earlier, Mukherjee assured the House that he had asked Sen to clarify and that “these comments, if made by our Ambassador, and reported correctly, are totally unwarranted and unacceptable”. He said: “Nobody can accuse others who hold divergent views...I regret the alleged comments which have hurt the feelings of the hon’ble members”.

With both Opposition and Left MPs in no mood to allow the House to function, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee even assured the MPs that “if he has said so, I will take action, I assure you, no one can go scot free. Parliament of India is not powerless.”

In his clarification, Sen admitted: “I fully recognise that such personal views, even in a privateconversation, should have been expressed with better judgement and due decorum.”

Later, I&B Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi also joined issue and commented on Sen’s clarification that the reference to “headless chickens” was directed at the media by saying: “Those who treat media as headless chickens, their brains have become a vegetable.”