Suspecting airport checks, US envoy Nancy Powell cancels Nepal trip

NEW DELHI: US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell has cancelled her trip to Nepal following the withdrawal of special airport passes for American diplomats by Delhi which decided to invoke reciprocity and extend same privileges offered to Indian diplomats in USA retaliating Devyani Khobragade's arrest.

The US Envoy had informed India of her travel plans to the Himalayan State but cancelled her visit after special airport passes for American diplomats were withdrawn as part of retaliatory steps by India, MEA sources said. In fact withdrawal of special airport passes on December 19 was first in the series of tough measures that the government announced to bring American diplomats on par with their Indian counterparts in the USA. Thereafter IDs of the diplomats were withdrawn on last Tuesday. The US Ambassador's special airport pass came with a photo ID which was exclusively for her while all other passes known as "floating" airport cards were used by the US diplomats as "if and when required" basis, the sources said. When Powell had informed the MEA about her travel plans and checked about her privilege of special access at airport, she was told that it stood withdrawn since December 19, the deadline for surrendering the special passes by the US, sources said.

There was every possibility that Powell would have been frisked and put through other security measures like normal passengers after the special access was withdrawn, sources pointed out. They said India withdrew this facility totally on reciprocal basis.

Indian diplomats do not get any special access. Former Indian Ambassador to the USA Meera Shankar was pulled from an airport security line and frisked by a security agent in Mississippi in 2010.

The US Embassy has clarified that Ambassador Nancy Powell's personal holiday plans in Nepal were cancelled due to pressing issues. Acting spokesperson in the US Embassy Lee McManis was commenting on reports that Powell had cancelled the visit to Nepal after India downgraded privileges and benefits enjoyed by the US diplomats including the Ambassador here such as withdrawal of special pass to airports which gave them special access.