New Delhi: India and the US are in "conversations" to resolve the standoff over diplomat Devyani Khobragade, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today said as he described the US as a valuable partner and asked it to "understand the value" of the partnership.
"We are in a conversation at different levels. Let the conversation go to its logical conclusion," he told reporters on the sidelines of a FICCI event.
The Minister further emphasised, "We have an extremely exceptionally valuable relationship with the US and I do believe that they have similar sentiments about us, and it must understand value of partnership."
39-year-old Khobragade, a 1999-batch IFS officer posted as Deputy Consul General in New York, was taken into custody last week on visa fraud charges as she was dropping her daughter to school before being released on a USD 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.
Khobragade was put through both strip and cavity searches, procedures normally used for criminals, evoking a sharp reaction from India. India had demanded that the case against Khobragade be dropped unconditionally.
Also read: US says visa fraud case against Khobragade would remain
The Minister also said by arresting the senior diplomat, the channels of communication got interrupted which was a matter of "concern". "I speak to America through diplomatic channels and my diplomatic channels have been interrupted. That is my concern. That was my agony that my diplomatic channel has been interrupted," Khurshid said.
Khurshid, who was criticised for allegedly not helping the riot victims of Muzaffarnagar, said, "People do not like the idea that I said if I do not get justice for my diplomat in the US, I will not comeback to Parliament.
Was that a terrible thing to say. "There are people who think I am being dramatic in saying that somebody said to me there are 50,000 Muslims in Muzaffarnagar and you did not say you will not comeback to Parliament if they were not given justice.
I believe that giving them justice is in my control, my right within democratic governments of UP and India and we will do that," he said. "It is for me to be able to exercise the same right with the US," Khurshid said.
In an apparent attack on Preet Bharara, the US prosecutor handling the case, the Minister said, "There is no reason why a conversation of high vault and high status that we have with the US should get interrupted.
Also read: Diplomat row: India tightens screws on US
But it gets interrupted because there are some people who sit and pontificate and say this is time for war. But we answer and say no, the time for war is over. This is time for peace." During his speech, the Minister expressed his unhappiness over the treatment meted out to Khobragade, particularly handcuffing and cavity search.
"Indian legal system may be slow. Indian legal system may not be the best in terms of the complaints that an individual may have about its inability to sensibly respond to their aspirations. But I tell you one thing.
The Indian Supreme Court has said we will not handcuff people because it lowers a person's dignity. I am sure the American Supreme Court has not said it. "I have been the law minister in this country.
I do not believe that I ever heard in my life expression like cavity searches. But I do understand that the circumstances may be different. I do understand situations may be different but I also understand that there are people who do not understand," the External Affairs Minister said.
Referring to strategic ties between the two countries, he said the relationship grew significantly in diverse fields in the last few years and questioned whether it was unreasonable for India to expect the US to allow its diplomat to serve with dignity.
"From being a sanction-inflicted country, we became partners in nuclear research and development and when we became partners in that we believe we have opened a paradigm shift in our relationship. "So if some small but hurtful incident happens, do I not have an expectation that my strategic partner will give me the response that I deserve. Do I not know that it is my obligation to give my strategic partner the response that it deserves. Is it unreasonable to say we must resolve the problem.
"Is it unreasonable to say that people who are your strategic partners have one small expectation that we allow to live with dignity. Diplomats must be allowed to serve with dignity," he said.
