India's Deputy Consul General in New York, Devyani Khobragade, attends a Rutgers University event at India's Consulate General in New York on June 19, 2013
The United States seems to have toughened its stance in the ongoing diplomatic tussle with India over the arrest of diplomat Devyani Khobragade for alleged visa fraud last week. The US State Department today ruled out dropping of what it called the "very serious" allegations against Ms Khobragade. India has demanded for all charges against the diplomat to be dropped and has sought an apology from the US over the matter.
Here are the latest developments:
"We take these allegations very seriously. We're not in any way walking back from those allegations or the charges. Again, this is really a law enforcement issue," US State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said today.
Reacting to the US' refusal to withdraw charges against Ms Khobragade, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that his "duty and entitlement is to be in conversation with my counterpart who is Secretary Kerry. At the lower level, there has been contact between the State Department and the Foreign Secretary."
Mr Khurshid had received a call from US Secretary of State John Kerry, who had voiced "regret" over the handling of Ms Khobragade's arrest. That conversation was followed by two phone calls by State Department No. 3 Wendy Sherman to India's Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh. Ms Sherman, during the second phone call, reportedly discussed specific steps to deescalate the matter and distanced the US administration from a statement made by US attorney Preet Bharara justifying the diplomat's arrest. (Read: 'Agents even brought her coffee': Preet Bharara's justifies arrest)
While terming the incident surrounding the 39-year-old consular officer's arrest as "hurtful" and "unacceptable", the minister also added that the "valuable" relationship between the two countries had to be kept in mind. "We hope we will find a solution," Mr Khurshid said.
But his colleagues were more forceful, saying that nothing short of a "clear apology" would do. "The US has to understand that the world has changed, times have changed and India has changed," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said.
India has also rubbished charges by the lawyer of Ms Khobragade's domestic help, Sangeeta Richard, whose allegations led to the diplomat's arrest in New York last week. Speaking to NDTV, Ms Richard's lawyer, Dana Sussman, alleged that her client was not given paid leave and was made to work seven days in a week. "India tried to silence and intimidate my client and her family," Ms Sussman added. (Watch)
Indian officials say they had told the US as early as September that Ms Richard is governed by the laws of India, not America. (Read)
Ms Khobragade, who is now free on bail, was detained over allegations that she paid the domestic help a small fraction of New York's minimum wage and lied about the latter's salary in a visa application. (Read charges against Devyani Khobragade)
After her arrest last week, Ms Khobragade was strip-searched, swabbed for DNA and cavity searched and was then placed in a cell with drug addicts. (Read)
India has informed the United Nations that Ms Khobragade is now a member of the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, which will entitle her to full immunity. But the State Department spokesperson said the immunity sought for her after her transfer is "not retroactive".
Post a comment