It's a 'silly-seasoned' controversy, says Tharoor

Having drawn flak for staying in a five-star hotel for the last three months, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor described the controversy as "silly seasoned" that prompted invitation by many of his friends to stay with them.

"One positive sidelight of this silly-seasoned controversy is the number of friends who invited me to move in with them! Good to hv (have) friends," Tharoor said in a posting on Twitter.

The Minister said he had answered a question related to his stay in the five star accomodation couple of weeks back.

Facing criticism for making luxury hotels their temporary homes amid an austerity drive by the government, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his deputy on Tuesday moved to humbler dwellings. The two shifted after Finance Minister Mukherjee, who has been pressing for austerity measures by the ministers, "requested" them to vacate the five star hotel rooms and go to their respective (state) Bhavans.

In a posting on Twitter on Tuesday, Tharoor had said,"I would be ashamed if I was spending the people's money. But I'm not, I'm spending my own savings".