India pulls US consular officials’ ID cards

New Delhi: The India-US standoff over the arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York continued on Tuesday with New Delhi withdrawing the diplomatic identity cards issued to US consular officials here.
India Tuesday said it has decided to take firm “reciprocal steps” against US consular staff in the country following the end of the deadline for surrendering the identity cards provided to them.
“India has decided to take firm reciprocal steps following the end of the deadline for surrender of identity cards provided to US consular staff in India,” sources said.
The sources said new identity cards, which are replicas of those provided to Indian consulate officials in the US, are being given in lieu of the withdrawn cards.
New Delhi has also decided that no cards will be given to family members of US consular officials, as the same courtesy is not extended to Indians in the US.
India earlier used to extend cards to the family members also. (IANS)