Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • PM Modi in Manipur
  • Charlie Kirk killer
  • Sushila Karki
  • IND vs PAK
  • India-US ties
  • New human organ
  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Movie Review
fp-logo
India told US that Devyani’s maid issue not subject to American rules
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • World
  • India told US that Devyani’s maid issue not subject to American rules

India told US that Devyani’s maid issue not subject to American rules

Rajeev Sharma • February 16, 2014, 16:39:31 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

The Indian note verbale contends that the matter of Khobragade’s maid Sangeeta Richards and the latter’s allegations against the former “are issues that are relevant to the relationship between the Government of India and its employees”.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
India told US that Devyani’s maid issue not subject to American rules

Editor’s Note: The following article and the note verbale sent by Indian embassy in Washington to the US State Department, a First Post exclusive, should be read as a sequel to an earlier article published here . Surprisingly it took a month and four days for the Indian embassy in Washington to send a formal response to the US State Department’s letter regarding the Devyani Khobragade case. This was the State Department’s first written communication in this case and remains the only one till date. The Indian embassy in Washington responded orally the very next day after receiving the State Department’s letter, official sources said today. It took a little over a month for the Indian embassy to send a formal written response as the case is subjudice in India and the response had to be first vetted by law officers. The Indian embassy’s four-page response is being reproduced in full for the first time here. Despite the State Department’s business-like letter, the Indian embassy’s response is warm and polite. Obviously, neither the Indian embassy in Washington nor the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had a clue about the scale and magnitude of the Barack Obama administration’s impending action against Khobragade which was eventually taken a couple of months later. Also, the Indian embassy’s communication to the State Department was in the nature of a note verbale, a higher degree of government-to-government communication in contrast to the State Department’s individual-to-individual letter. [caption id=“attachment_1383629” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]Devyani Khobragade in this file photo. PTI Devyani Khobragade in this file photo. PTI[/caption] Finer points about diplomatese apart, the Indian embassy’s response makes three main points, all of which were ignored by the Americans. One, the Indian note verbale contends that the matter of Khobragade’s maid Sangeeta Richards and the latter’s allegations against the former “are issues that are relevant to the relationship between the Government of India and its employees” and “not subject to US regulation or adjudication.” Two, the Delhi High Court was seized with the Khobragade-Richards matter and the court had issued an anti-suit injunction restraining Richard from approaching any court or forum or authority in the US for any matter arising out of her employment in the US. “It cannot be the argument of any party that a foreign government must adjudicate in a matter between Indian citizens that stands placed before the judiciary of India,” the note verbale contends. Three, the Indian embassy urged the State Department to help facilitate the repatriation of Richard to India and to forestall her effort to illegally emigrate to the US. Well placed sources tell this writer that the Indian government has taken and will continue to take the Khobragade case very seriously and will take the counter action launched in the wake of her arrest to its logical conclusion with respect to the ongoing investigations into the financial affairs of the US entities, diplomats and other staff in India. Also, it is worth stressing here that the Indian responses and concerns with regard to the Khobragade incident and the aftermath enjoy support from all major political parties, including the BJP, the Left, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had prominently pitched the Khobragade issue when US ambassador in India, Nancy Powell, called on him in Gandhinagar a few days ago. The Obama administration has already softened its stand on Modi and said it is ready to do business with whosoever is in power in India. US defence secretary Chuck Hagel met India’s National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon in Munich recently. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is scheduled to visit India on March 10. However, the Indian officials have made it clear that it cannot be business as usual with the US till all criminal charges against Khobragade are withdrawn.

Tags
United States India diplomacy Devyani Khobragade Indian diplomat Devyani Sangeeta Richards Diplomatic War
End of Article
Written by Rajeev Sharma
Email

Consulting Editor, Firstpost. Strategic analyst. Political commentator. Twitter handle @Kishkindha. see more

Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Impact Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Erika Kirk delivered an emotional speech from her late husband's studio, addressing President Trump directly. She urged people to join a church and keep Charlie Kirk's mission alive, despite technical interruptions. Erika vowed to continue Charlie's campus tours and podcast, promising his mission will not end.

More Impact Shorts

Top Stories

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports

QUICK LINKS

  • Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV