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“We are in conversation at different levels. Let these conversations go to its logical conclusion,” Khurshid told reporters here on Saturday on being asked about the impending conversation with his US counterpart John Kerry on the sidelines of the Ficci annual general meeting here.
On Wednesday, Kerry had called National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and had expressed regret over the treatment meted out to the 39-year old Indian diplomat. However, since then the speculation was that Kerry would call Khurshid to discuss the issue.
“My conversation is not complete. Let us talk … My diplomatic channels have been interrupted. That’s my concern. That’s my agony. But I want to state here at the risk of being attacked that we have an extremely valuable relationship with USA. And I do believe they have similar sentiments about us,” he said during his address to Ficci.
While addressing the industry leaders on the topic of ‘Image India’ a visibly disturbed Khurshid lashed out at the US, saying he wanted Khobragade’s “dignity to be restored” and that the US “must understand the value of its partnership with India”.
“I can tell you that the Indian Supreme Court has said we will not handcuff people because it lowers a person’s dignity if you handcuff them … I have never heard in my life, expressions like a cavity searches… But I do understand that circumstance may be different, situations may be different,” he added.
Defending his earlier statement that he would not enter Parliament until he was able to restore diplomat Khobragade’s dignity, Khurshid said he would make sure all channels of diplomacy were activated to get the issue resolved soon.
“I have said I will not return to Parliament if I do not restore the dignity of our diplomat. Was that a terrible thing to say? When we send a diplomat, that diplomat must be allowed dignity. If you feel it is important that we must sit down and talk, then we must sit down and talk… Two important valuable friends must be able to do that.”
A 1999-batch IFS officer, Devyani Khobragade, was handcuffed and cavity-searched after being arrested by New York Police Department on alleged visa fraud charges and underpaying her housekeeper Sangeeta Richard while she was dropping her daughter to school on December 12. She was later released on a $250,000 bond.
Khurshid also highlighted the fact that India-US relationship has reached its pinnacle. He highlighted that from being a sanction-inflicted country, India has become one of the US’ important strategic partners.
“But if a small but irksome, hurtful incident happens do I not have the right to expect that my strategic partner will give me the response that I deserve and do I not know that it is my obligation to give my strategic partner a response that it deserves. Is it unreasonable to say we want to solve this problem,” asked Khurshid.
Khobragade has been now transferred to India’s Permanent Mission in UN, also in New York in order to provide her total immunity. However, this move requires the permission of the US State Department.
On the other hand, US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki has said Khobragade’s transfer would not give her diplomatic immunity retroactively and the visa fraud case against her would remain.
“Receiving diplomatic immunity does not nullify any previously existing criminal charges. Those remain on the books. Nor does obtaining diplomatic immunity protect the diplomat from prosecution indefinitely. It relates to the status of a diplomat's current status for the length of the time of that status," said Psaki.
The UN on Saturday said it was processing the request to accredit Khobragade to the Permanent Mission.
