Unfair to comment on Infosys episode: Sitharaman

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday refused to be drawn into the boardroom controversy involving Infosys, maintaining that she does not see any conflict of interest in the appointment of Punita Sinha, wife of Union Minister Jayant Sinha, as an independent director.

"... to comment on what is happening in a particular corporate organisation will be unfair from what reports I have seen in the media - that will be rather unfair to comment on whatever I have read in the media," she said.

Sitharaman was specifically asked about Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy flagging the issue of quality of governance at Infosys having "slipped" amid reports of uneasy equations between the company founders on the one hand and CEO Vishal Sikka and the board on the other.

On Punita's appointment, which was made almost a year ago and is also reported to be a contentious point in the rift, she said, "I am not sure I will personally have any objection.

I am not sure again (whether) it is a conflict in the context of what is developing at Infosys."