Lawmaker urges State Dept to ensure Indo-US ties remain strong

WASHINGTON: Expressing concern over a diplomatic row between India and the US in the aftermath of arrest of Devyani Khobragade in New York last week, a US lawmaker today urged the US State Department to ensure that the relationship between two countries remains strong.

"I urge the State Department to work with its counterparts in India to ensure our relationship remains strong and to ensure our law enforcement agencies put appropriate protocols in place for these situations," Democrat lawmaker from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement.

Noting that diplomats play a vital role in our ever- shrinking globalized world, she said that among America's partnerships, the importance of US alliance with India cannot be overstated.

"This is why I was disappointed to hear initial reports about the treatment of Devyani Khobragade, India's Deputy Consul General in New York," she said.

"While we must ensure our laws are being followed by all those who reside in or visit our country, it is also essential that foreign diplomats in the US are treated with dignity, respect and sensitivity, as we expect the same for our own diplomats abroad," Gabbard said.

"Our relationship with India is deeply valued, and the progress we are making on economic, political and security issues is key in Asia and the Pacific region," she said.

Khobragade, India's Deputy Consul General in New York, was arrested on December 12 by the State Department's diplomatic security bureau, and then handed over to the US Marshals Service (USMS).

She was taken into custody as she was dropping her daughter to school before being released on a $250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.