Krishna, Tharoor Asked to Move out of 5-Star Hotel Rooms
Following media reports questioning its austerity, the Central government has asked External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Minister for State Shashi Tharoor to leave luxury hotels where they have been staying for more than three months.
“I have requested both the ministers to vacate hotel rooms,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told media persons in New Delhi while reacting to media reports of the two ministers staying in five-star hotels suite, though they were paying the bills themselves.
Media reports said quoting official sources that Krishna, staying at Hotel Maurya Sheraton at Sardar Patel Marg, has moved to Foreign Services Institute (FSI) guesthouse. While Tharoor, staying at Hotel Taj Mahal on Man Singh Road, has moved to Indian Navy guesthouse.
Reports said that Tharoor checked out of the hotel on September 1.
In the meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari justified Mukherjee’s interference into the matter, alleging that at a time when government has announced austerity measures, the ministers staying in luxury hotels does not send the right signals.
Tewair also clarified that the government was not paying for the stay of the two ministers and they were paying the bill themselves.
The two ministers were staying in hotels as official accommodations allotted to them were undergoing renovation.
