Can't comment on Khurshid's 'stray' views, says PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed as "stray" the comment of law minister Salman Khurshid that the investment climate in India was getting affected since several businessmen were in jail.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday termed as "stray" the comment of law minister Salman Khurshid that the investment climate in India was getting affected since several businessmen were in jail.

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He, however, said there was the due legal process to get remedies.

"It would not be proper for me to comment on stray thoughts of what my minister has said," the Prime Minister said when asked for his comments on what Khurshid had said, which was even criticized by the Supreme Court.

"There are legal remedies available in our system. Whenever anybody gets on the wrong side of the law, and he or she is put behind bars, there are legal ways to get redress," the Prime Minister said during his return from Pretoria.

"We have a functioning democracy in which all three wings of the establishment - the executive, the judiciary, the legislature - have a well-defined role to play," the Prime Minister, who was away for the IBSA Summit, added.

It was later clarified by the government counsel that the law minister's remarks were general in nature and were in no way specific to this particular case.

Around a dozen top executives and corporate officials are in judicial custody for around six months now as co-accused in the 2G case.

To another question on judicial interventions on executive matters, the Prime Minister said his government has high regard for the legal process, adding all matters will be sorted out if the constitutional dharma is followed.

"We are a functioning democracy. Therefore ministers sometimes take advantage of that to express opinions. But as a government we have high respect and regard for judiciary."