Devyani Khobragade, the Indian diplomat at the center of the nanny-gate scandal, has filed to have her indictment deadline (set for January 13) waived, because the extension would facilitate talks between the two countries involved, the US and India.
What kind of talks?
It seems that the Indian government, determined to roll-back US diplomatic privilege to the level of true reciprocity, has unearthed dozens of tax and other legal violations of US embassy personnel in India, to which, until now, India had turned a blind eye.
“The filing came after Indian authorities said they had unearthed cases of tax and other legal violations by U.S. Embassy staff members in New Delhi that they are prepared to make public and act upon if Khobragade’s case is not resolved to India’s satisfaction.
Indian officials declined to characterize their plans as a threat. But “it could all come out in the open like a can of worms,” said one senior official who was not authorized to speak openly to the news media on the matter.
“What we have is a wide array of issues that are under the scanner. Each aspect will be proceeded on with due care, if we have to,” the official said. Among the alleged irregularities, the senior official mentioned the sale by U.S. diplomats of duty-free alcohol and other goods to those who are not legally entitled to them and the employment of diplomatic spouses without the necessary papers or tax filings.
On Friday, India asked the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to stop screening movies at the American Center there unless the proper licenses and certificates from Indian censors are obtained.”
If the GOI were really smart, they would simply use this case as an excuse to back out of any further commitments to the US, strategically or economically, and revert to their more traditional partners.
It would be wise to make nice with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and China, India’s physical neighbors.
Interestingly, Pakistan publicly supported the GOI on this case.