Indians slam US over diplomat arrest

Indians slam US over diplomat arrest

Protesters have taken to the streets in southern Indian city of Chennai, demanding an apology from the US over the arrest and mistreatment of an Indian diplomat in New York.

The march on the streets of Chennai was organized by student organizations.

The protesters called for an apology from the US government over the arrest of an Indian diplomat, urging New Delhi to be stricter on the issue.

The aftershocks of a diplomatic row between the United States and India are still felt.

Two weeks ago, New York police arrested and strip-searched Devyani Khobragade, a member of India’s diplomatic mission. She has been accused of visa fraud and making false statements about her housekeeper.

Her maltreatment caused anger in India and sparked a series of reprisals, including the removal of protective barricades outside the US Embassy in New Delhi.

India has called the move humiliating and completely unacceptable.

The Indian foreign minister has spoken about the measures against the US.

The Indian Foreign Ministry ordered the revocation of all identification cards issued by the ministry to officials at US consulates across the country. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also slammed the treatment as “deplorable.”

New Delhi has demanded that all charges be dropped against the diplomat and called for an apology from the US.

“We have asked for the case to be dropped and withdrawn…. We are not convinced that there are legitimate grounds for pursuing it,” India’s Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters on Thursday.

Lawmakers in India have called on the government to take the humiliating act seriously.

India has also promoted Khobragade to its UN diplomatic mission, but she could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

According to a UN spokesman, the organization on Friday received an official request from India to endorse Devyani Khobragade as a member of the country’s permanent UN mission.

The move can give the 39-year-old diplomat a stronger form of diplomatic immunity.

Washington is now concerned that the recent diplomatic row over the arrest of the Indian diplomat may affect the bilateral ties with New Delhi.