India on Tuesday launched a series of reprisals against the US over a diplomat's arrest in New York, including pulling identity cards for American consular officials in the country, foreign ministry sources said.
"We
have ordered the withdrawal of all ID cards that are issued by the
Ministry of External Affairs to the officials at the US consulates
across India," a senior ministry source told AFP on condition of
anonymity.
"These
cards facilitate speedy entry and movement of the people carrying them
as they travel to Indian airports or other public areas," the source
added.
The
Indian government would also stop all import clearances for the US
embassy including liquor, another foreign ministry source said also on
condition of anonymity.
Indian
security forces were also removing police barricades from streets near
the US embassy in the capital New Delhi, an AFP photographer said, in
another apparent measure over the arrest.
The
moves come as anger intensifies in India over the arrest last week of
deputy consul general Devyani Khobragade in New York over visa fraud
allegations, which Indian officials branded "humiliating".
Foreign
Minister Salman Khurshid said Tuesday the government had "put in
motion" measures to address the isssue, saying Khobragade's arrest while
she was dropping her children at school was "completely unacceptable".
"We
have put in motion what we believe would be effective way of addressing
the issue but also (put) in motion such steps that need to be taken to
protect her dignity," he told reporters in New Delhi.
"We
have expressed our deep distress and sense of disquiet, that has been
very, very strongly felt, in strongest words possible."
Voice of Russia, AFP
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