India not to issue démarche to US

Trump silent on Kansas killing, but authorities are engaged with the larger concern of safety of Indians.

Father of Srinivas Kuchibhotla performs his son’s last rites in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Indian and U.S. officials are engaging on the issue of safety of Indians in America, the External Affairs Ministry said ahead of a visit by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar to Washington on Tuesday. It said there was no need for India to issue a “démarche” to the U.S. over the suspected racially motivated killing of an Indian engineer.

“The Government of the United States and senior authorities in Kansas have proactively responded to the unfortunate death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla,” said official spokesperson Gopal Baglay, listing the statements made by the U.S. Embassy in India, as well as “senior officials” in Kansas condemning the shooting, that left another Indian injured.

“These developments obviated the need for a demarche by the Government on this matter. It is important to note that the U.S. authorities are engaged with us on the larger concern regarding safety of Indians in the U.S., a matter which continues to receive the Government’s top priority,” Mr. Baglay added.

The statement came amid rising criticism in the U.S. and Indian media over the lack of a response from U.S. President Donald Trump on the killing, although White House spokesperson Sean Spicer did call details of the incident “disturbing”.

Meanwhile, hailing the talks between Mr. Jaishankar and Chinese Executive Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Zhang Yesui in Beijing last week as “positive and constructive”, the Ministry said that they had “addressed the full complexity of India-China relations”. It was responding to a “number of press commentaries” that had called the talks unproductive as there had been no movement on the issues raised by Mr. Jaishankar, including on the Nuclear Suppliers Group and U.N. designation of Masood Azhar as a terrorist, both of which China had blocked last year.

Meeting positive

“Our assessment is that the recent meeting was positive and constructive. We both agreed that at the time when the global situation is in flux, a more stable, substantive and forward-looking India-China relationship was good for the international system,” Mr. Baglay said.

The official also said that “common ground” had been found during specific exchanges on Afghanistan, U.N., counter-terrorism and nuclear issues.