New Delhi: India Thursday said it will not immediately take a call on giving back the special privileges to US diplomats that were taken away in a retaliatory measure after the handcuffing and strip search of an Indian envoy in New York.
US Secretary of State John Kerry Wednesday evening called up National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon to express regret over the arrest and strip search of 39-year-old Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday said the decision to revoke the paring down of privileges to US diplomats would not be taken in a hurry.
“Such decisions are not taken in a hurry. We will study the matter and then take a call,” the minister told IANS on the sidelines of an event here.
He said the decision to pare the diplomatic privileges was not done with an “intent to hurt them (US), but because we expect certain courtesies and we return them. These are courtesies, and not rights”.
India has asked US diplomats to give back the diplomatic ID cards given to them by the Indian government and return airport passes. India also removed the extra police barricades around the US embassy here. (IANS)
