India freezes duty-free alcohol in row with U.S. over diplomat's arrest

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Asian nation declared retaliatory measures against the united states on wednesday, together with editing work conditions of Indians employed in U.S. consulates and a freeze on exempt alcohol, in associate escalating row over the arrest of a diplomat in big apple.

The move came a day after police removed security barricades from the U.S. embassy in new delhi in revenge against the arrest. serious machinery dragged away concrete barriers that restricted traffic movement around the embassy.

The dispute was triggered by the Gregorian calendar month 12 arrest of Devyani Khobragade, a deputy diplomat general at the Indian consulate in big apple, on charges of visa fraud and creating false statements concerning what proportion she paid her domestic help, associate Indian national.

India has responded furiously to what it considers the degrading treatment of a senior diplomat by the united states, a rustic it considers an in depth friend.

"It isn't any longer concerning an individual, it's concerning our sense of self as a nation and our place within the world," foreign minister Salman Khurshid told parliament, whose sometimes fractious members showed rare unity on the problem prior elections attributable to be held by could next year.

View galleryA law officer stands guard outside the U.S. embassy in …

A law officer stands guard outside the U.S. embassy in new delhi Gregorian calendar month 18, 2013. REUTERS/Anindito M …

Many Indians area unit angry at what they see as heavy-handed treatment of Khobragade, who her professional person says was handcuffed within the street. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed she was then strip searched.

An Indian source close to the case said the interrogation had enclosed a cavity search.

Khurshid said work conditions of Indians employed in U.S. consulates in major Indian cities would be revised, to move any violations of labor laws, and there would be a freeze on the duty free import of alcohol and food for consulate staff.

Several politicians argue that Asian nation provides too many unilateral perks to U.S. diplomatic staff. Khurshid reined in some of these on wednesday, speech communication passes giving consulate staff access to landing field lounges had to turned in by Thursday.

Supporters of a right opposition party held alittle protest close to the embassy in delhi on wednesday. Around 30 demonstrators, some wearing makeshift Obama masks and sarongs made of the flag, demanded associate apology.

"It was superb that the govt. removed the barriers yesterday. until the U.S.A. says sorry, we must always not give any security in the least to the Americans," said protester Gaurav Khattar, 33.

The U.S. State Department said it had told the Indian government it expects new delhi to guard its embassy and stressed it failed to want the incident with the Indian diplomat to harm ties.

The embassy failed to respond to perennial requests for data concerning what action would be taken to exchange the barriers. The compound has several other layers of security and is protected by a high wall.