India US relations

India-US relations sink to new low over diplomat arrest and strip search
Published time: January 09, 2014 14:07 Get short URL
India's Deputy Consul General in New York, Devyani Khobragade (Reuters / Mohammed Jaffer)India's Deputy Consul General in New York, Devyani Khobragade (Reuters / Mohammed Jaffer)
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Conflict, Court, Crime, India, Politics, Scandal, USA
Washington has put on hold an official visit to New Delhi, as India orders the closure of the US Embassy club. The world’s two most populous democracies with bilateral trade of $100 billion a year are witnessing an escalation of their worst row in years.

Amid rising diplomatic tensions, it was announced on Wednesday that US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz would not go on an official visit to India, which had been scheduled for next week and had been considered a high priority event.

"In view of the importance of these matters to the overall bilateral relationship, we look forward to holding the Energy Dialogue at a mutually convenient date in the near future that will permit both sides to deliver concrete outcomes for both governments and our two peoples," Reuters cited an Energy Department official as saying.

India meanwhile ordered the cessation of any commercial activities on the territory of the US Embassy compound in New Delhi by January 16. That would erase from the city map the club that for decades has served as a mecca for Americans working in India.

These have been the latest episodes in the diplomatic stand-off the Indian media described as the worst since New Delhi’s 1998 nuclear tests. The crisis in Indian-US relations was sparked by last month’s arrest, handcuffing and strip-search of India’s deputy consul in New York, Devyani Khobragade. She is accused by prosecutors of paying her housekeeper less than the US federal minimum wage, and of lying about the fee in her visa application. Khobragade allegedly paid her maid three times less then was stated in the documents she filed to the US State Department.

The arrest and the strip search part of it in particular caused outrage among Indian politicians, who believe that a woman representing their country was insulted by law enforcers.

Apart from the order to close the Embassy Club to non-diplomats, New Delhi reacted with downgrading privileges for US diplomats. Their immunity in case of offenses was limited, their families were stripped of diplomatic ID cards. Among other measures, signaling a chill in the two country’s relations was the removal of security barricades protecting the US Embassy.

India's external affairs minister, Salman Khurshid, described it as a “reciprocal” response to the arrest of an Indian diplomat.

"Our position is very clear. She is an Indian diplomat. She is the face of Indian diplomacy in the US, among others including our ambassador," Khurshid said, as cited by USA Today. "We expect a friendly country like the US to do what a friendly country does."

Secretary of State John Kerry tried to alleviate tension by issuing an expression of regret for Khobragade's treatment. The State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, expressed hope the countries would maintain their “strong historic relationship” despite the row.

“We, of course, endeavor to always be in compliance with local laws and regulations,” Psaki said, as cited by the Washington Post. “We’re continuing our conversations with the government in response to diplomatic communications, with the importance of our broad relationship in mind.”

US Attorney Preet Bharara, however, according to the Wall Street Journal, issued a statement defending Khobragade’s arrest procedures, saying she was afforded courtesies most Americans wouldn't get. He also explained that according to US law, Khobragade does not enjoy diplomatic immunity.

On January 13, Devyani Khobragade is to appear in court, where she could be indicted.

India is insisting on a formal apology from the US for the arrest, and is demanding withdrawal of the charges against Khobragade. In case that does not happen, New Delhi is promising more retaliatory measures against Washington.

While I believe that this woman  is a crook , this is not about her anymore
This is all about humiliating India for continuing to trade with Iran in spite of the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on that country  by the USA .
India has to stand firm and push back hard,
They should take a page out of China 's playbook

Devyani Khobragade, India deputy consul general in New York, was asked to leave the US :

after India refused to waive her diplomatic immunity, according to US officials

3.33 an hour, that is slavery

This was a calculated move by the US to impose their will on India but they miscalculated as there is an election campaign going on    right now and no party could afford to look weak  on U S intimidation
Usually Sonia and puppet Manmohan Singh would have rolled over/   
This woman at the center of this is scum but it is not about her anymore, it is about the dignity of a country.
This US attorney Preet Baharra seems to go only after Indians .  He jailed a Sri lankan Billionaire for insider trading but has done    nothing with regards to the wall street criminals .

there are hundreds like her from India here in New York
bringing these poor people here and enslaving them
the US can do without those turbans
this was a setup by the ruling party [color=rgb(26, 26, 26)]Manmohan [/color][/size]
just remember everything will change after the elections

Charges DROPPED !

Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled Devyani Khobragade had diplomatic immunity :

at the time of her indictment on visa fraud and underpaying her housekeeper.


                                 

WTH ....thought it was Dismissed !  :-[

[color=rgb(63, 63, 63)]Not everyone in the Obama administration is thrilled with Bharara's crusade in this case. In private conversations, administration officials have conceded that the Khobragade flap had robbed bilateral ties of energy and momentum, although they maintained Bharara had gone by the book. But diplomacy is not played by the book, they acknowledged. "Besides, he's not the one who will be serving in missions in India," one mandarin observed ruefully, alluding to the fact that the fracas had resulted in the withdrawal of many privileges that US diplomats enjoyed in India unless it was offered to Indian diplomats in US on a reciprocal basis. [/color][color=rgb(63, 63, 63)][/color]

Preet Bharra the NY district attorney is a Sikh Khalastini that has it in for Indians . Hr is married to a Pakistani  wife and is only grandstanding in the hope that one day he can run for elected office like Spitzer and Giuliani before him .
His only fame till now is the conviction of Sri Lankan  billionaire Rajanatam on insider trading.
He will not touch the wall street Jewish criminals unlike Spitzer  who in-spite of being Jewish went after  them with a vengeance
Baharra wife ... mother Jewish .. Father Pakistani.
Dint get me wrong the Indian woman behind all if this belong behind bars but Indo US relations supersedes that . 
Preet Bharra only cares about promoting himself to fuck Indians and India and to hell with India US relations