Move leaves US envoys open to prosecution under Indian laws.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Escalation of retaliatory measures by India against the US continued with regards to the Devyani Khobragade case, as India has withdrawn identity cards issued to US consular envoys stationed in the country, today.
The measure had been threatened, but has now gone into full effect, leading to further strain between the two countries over the arrest and subsequent handling of the Deputy Consul General of India in New York Devyani Khobragade, ever since she was initially apprehended by US law enforcement officials on December 12th in New York.
India will issue new identity cards to US consular workers there, which, like for Indian diplomats working at Consulates in the US, will only give them partial immunity from legal troubles as far as their immediate work is concerned, not full diplomatic immunity.
Also, no ID cards will be issued to the family members of the American consular workers, similar in rule to what Indian diplomats face in the US.
India is apparently keen to take measures against their own laws potentially being broken by diplomats in their country. India has not taken similar steps against diplomats from other countries.
On the US side, the government is still reviewing the paperwork that India filed with the United Nations to list Khobragade as a member of India’s Permanent Mission in New York, which would allow her to receive full diplomatic immunity from prosecution.
The UN accepted Khobragade to the Permanent Mission and approved her paperwork, but now the State Department must do the same before Khobragade can be a legitimate member of the Indian Mission.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com