Officials in India are embarrassed over an open invitation to Jade Goody, tormentor of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on a reality TV show, to visit India, a newspaper reported.

The Indian Express quoted unnamed government sources Thursday saying the invitation "had not gone down well with higher-ups in the (ruling) Congress party and the government."

Goody was evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother reality show last weekend in a telephone vote after her alleged racist bullying of Shetty escalated into headlines around the world.

Amid the furore, the Indian tourism office in London issued the invitation in advertisements in British newspapers welcoming Goody "to experience India's healing nature once your current commitments are over."

Earlier this week, she told another show she was "thinking of going over there (India) because I've been invited" by "some high-up people."

"She did approach the High Commission for a visa," said an Indian tourism ministry spokeswoman who did not wish to be identified.

She declined further comment.

However, the Indian Express cited a government source saying the invitation was "immature" and raised practical concerns.

"Suddenly we have elevated Goody to the status of an official guest," the source said. "What will we do if she evokes protests here, who takes care of her security?"If an incident happens, it will be highly damaging to our Incredible India (tourist promotion) campaign."

The row over the show has been front-page news in India. It also caused an Anglo-Indian diplomatic ruckus, overshadowing Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown's own visit here last week.

Brown was forced to defend Britain against charges of racism, described the treatment of Shetty as "offensive" and insisted that Britain was "a country of fairness and tolerance."

Shetty, now an odds-on favourite to win the show by remaining in the house after viewers evict other housemates, had been taunted on the programme about her skin colour, accent and cooking.

Goody reduced the 31-year-old to tears on many occasions during Celebrity Big Brother, which is meant to be a 24-hour, warts-and-all programme.

Her visit to India could be a damage control exercise to try to salvage a career in tatters, media reports here say.

Meanwhile, the Times of India said that Shetty, previously known more for her looks than talent, is now being deluged with offers.

It quoted her agent Jasvir Barton as saying "offers from around the world are flooding in for Shilpa -- her profile has obviously been raised worldwide." Among other proposals was an offer to write a book.

The British media has been hailing the actress for her "beauty, dignity and poise," and some of the UK's leading public relations professionals said she could have her pick of the blizzard of offers.

Provided by AFP.