US official makes unpleasant comments, India protests

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) An American official on Tuesday
raised the hackles by describing the tagging of Indian
students in California as "hip and happening", prompting an
angry government to lodge a strong protest with the US Embassy
over the "unacceptable" remarks, which expressed regrets.
"Those anklets are used when you have somebody who might
flee. And so you give them the choice -- would you go to the
prison or would you like an anklet. The anklets are very hip
and happening. Many of our movie stars caught in drunken
driving or else choose the anklets than sitting in orange suit
in a prison," said Juliet Wur, Public Affairs Officer at the
US Consulate in Hyderabad.
She said the anklets were "hot and trendy" and added "I
don't know why people are getting upset about this. I am not
speaking for the way Indians feel about something. They may
have their own reasons for feeling that. I see it
differently."
Soon after her comments appeared on TV channels, Jawed
Ashraf, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the External Affairs
Ministry, called US Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu and told
him that the comments were in bad taste and "unacceptable",
sources said.
Lu, in turn, expressed regrets over such comments and
said she has been asked to publicly apologise, the sources
said.