Rajendra Pachauri, the chief of the UN panel on climate change, on Jan 19 accused a leading British newspaper of carrying out "a sustained vendetta" against him even though he does not receive any payment, honoraria or compensation for work done for UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The letter of the Indian scientist was published in the newspaper today while in a separate story the daily said "million of pounds of British taxpayers' money is being paid to a research institute headed by Dr Pachauri."

It said: "Questions have been asked over the finances of The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI), London operation which has also benefited from British funding."

Pachauri, however, dismissed the allegations as "a sustained vendetta".The noted climate expert said while TERI was established in 1974 with seed money from Tata Chemicals and afew other companies, "the organisation has always functioned as an independent non-profit organisation dedicated toresearch, development and training, according to a charter focused on sustainable development, and operates according to Indian government regulations".

Pachauri said, adding "There is no question of their influencing the functioning of TERI, the IPCC or myself".

TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami debates the issue of Global warming fight becoming messy with the London newspaper accusing Pachauri with Vijay Kumar Raina, Former Dy Dir General, GSI and Richard North, Pollitical Analyst, 'The Telegraph'.