Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefs Parliamentary body following PM Modi's visit to US

New Delhi: India-US relations were at the centre of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's briefing to a parliamentary committee here on Wednesday, with members quizzing him on a host of issues, including the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the US. Sources said Misri assured members of the Standing Committee on External Affairs about the measures being taken by the Indian government to ensure that deportees are not mistreated.

The committee's chairperson Shashi Tharoor said it was a "very thorough briefing", noting that the discussion focused mostly on the US because of Prime Minister Narendra Moi's recent visit to the country.

The meeting's agenda was "current foreign policy developments".


Tharoor said, "Every question you can imagine to do with the Indo-US relationship in the context of the prime minister's visit was raised, discussed and the foreign secretary gave all necessary answers."

Other issues involving current developments, including the visit of the Qatar Amir to India, will be taken up at another meeting of the committee, he added.

Sources said Misri's remarks on deportation echoed the statement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Parliament on February 6.

Jaishankar had said the process of deportation is not new and has been ongoing for several years and added that the government is engaging with the US to ensure that deported Indians are not mistreated.