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<ul><li>Shiv Sena, a regional party that takes hardline on Hindu nationalism, has recommended a ban on burqas in India as an “emergency measure.” </li><li>The proposal was made in Sena’s mouthpiece, the Marathi language daily, Saamna. </li><li>The proposal has come three days after Sri Lanka banned face coverings after terror attacks killed 350 people.</li></ul>Just three days after Sri Lanka issued a ban on all face coverings in the wake of Easter Sunday terror attacks, a regional party in India affiliated to Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has openly called for banning face masks and the burqa. Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena party, which is known for its parochial politics and majoritarian Hindutva ideology, has reportedly <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shiv-sena-calls-for-ban-on-burqa-in-public-places-2031149">recommended </a>a similar ban in India, as an “emergency measure to ensure that security forces do not encounter difficulties in identifying anybody.” South Asia, largely, has been on an alert since the terror attacks in Sri Lanka that killed over 350 people. In India, a <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/karnataka-police-pick-up-former-army-official-for-hoax-terror-threat-call/story-S1MzbHW8Mp3s4tLwSKh1oK.html">hoax call</a> warning the Karnataka police, claiming knowledge of a possible terror attack in South India, led to much panic and confusion led to much panic and confusion. While the Sri Lankan government’s ban stopped short of <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sri-lankans-share-views-face-veil-ban-190429120515773.html">naming</a> the niqab, burqa or the hijab, the ban is being seen as a crackdown on the country’s Muslim community and has <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sri-lankans-share-views-face-veil-ban-190429120515773.html">divided opinion</a> in the island nation. The call for the ban in India from Shiv Sena is not surprising, and it’s likely to open up a wider political debate on the garment identified with Muslim women. Given the party’s close ties with the RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, the polarising rhetoric may even find vocal support. After all, the general elections are underway in the country and 30% of the electorate is yet to vote. The BJP, Sena’s ally, itself has led the charge against some of the Muslim social practices. The regressive “triple talaq” -- where the husband can divorce a wife just by saying “talaq” thrice -- has been one of the party’s flagship campaigns. Even as India’s supreme court sought to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/sc-dismisses-plea-challenging-constitutional-validity-triple-talaq-ordinance/articleshow/68558153.cms">ban </a>the practice through an ordinance, a bill introduced by the BJP banning triple talaq faced opposition in the upper house of the Parliament. There is also a <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/bjp-pledges-to-legislate-bill-to-prohibit-and-eliminate-triple-talaq-nikah-halala-119040800772_1.html">campaign </a>against “nikah halala” -- the practice that forces some Muslim women to marry another man in order to be married again to their divorced husbands. BJP has also promised to introduce a uniform civil code that will exclude any existing privileges afforded by Indian law based on religion. This was an election promise in 2014 too, but the debate hasn’t progressed since.

Sri Lanka ban on ‘face veil’ sparks burqa debate in India

The Federation of <keyword id="1446" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-airlines">Indian Airlines</keyword>, having <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/now-find-an-uber-ready-for-pick-up-for-your-next-jet-airways-flight/articleshow/57647515.cms">Jet Airways</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/discontinuation-of-a-320-neo-planes-hasnt-impacted-finances-says-indigo/articleshow/57687582.cms">IndiGo</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/spicejet-to-buy-205-boeing-aircrafts-for-22-billion/articleshow/56516282.cms">SpiceJet</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/GoAir-announces-special-concession-fares-for-students-in-the-ongoing-exam-season/articleshow/52453063.cms">GoAir</a> as its members, has taken a decision to ban <keyword id="6358821" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena">Shiv Sena</keyword> MP <keyword id="139929" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravindra-Gaikwad">Ravindra Gaikwad</keyword> from flying after he assaulted an <keyword id="2573" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India">Air India</keyword> staff member. Even though <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vistara-to-fly-international-asearly-as-possible/articleshow/56389236.cms">Vistara</a> is not a part of <keyword id="43642" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="FIA">FIA</keyword> yet, it has said it supports the decision and would not allow the MP to board their flights. 
 
A detailed statement on the issue is expected soon. 
 
Gaikwad had <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/shiv-sena-mp-denied-business-class-assaults-air-india-staffer-with-a-slipper/articleshow/57793556.cms">slapped</a> an Air India ground staff on Thursday after he was made to fly economy class between Pune and Delhi. Even though he had a business-class ticket, the aircraft on this sector was all economy. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/someone-loss-is-someone-elses-gain-indian-airline-companies-set-to-benefit-from-us-ban-on-in-flight-gadgets/articleshow/57768672.cms">Someone loss is someone else’s gain! Indian airline companies set to benefit from US ban on in-flight gadgets</a> 
 
Reportedly, Air India has blacklisted the MP, the first time that the national carrier has done so. Blacklisting unruly passengers is a common practice followed by several international and some private Indian airline companies. 
 
(Image source: Daily News Online)

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad banned from all Indian domestic flights

What is more offensive and derogatory – a name that is spoken with some affection though sometimes with ignorance wrapped around, or the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Shiv+Sena">Shiv Sena</a> asking Biharis, workers from UP and Gujarati businessmen to leave their ‘amchi Mumbai’? Or people in J&amp;K, the NE, and a few other regions calling you ‘Indian’ when you go to these places as tourists? Or the Government in the Centre giving step-motherly treatment to governments in the States and UTs that are under the rule of some other political party? Or the <keyword id="6356116" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="LG">LG</keyword> of <keyword id="66" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword> saying he is the government in Delhi? Or contest losers on twitter calling me ‘buddha’ and asking me to leave some contest winnings for them? Or words like ‘bong’, ‘punju’, ‘gujju’, ‘madrasi’, ‘sambhar’, ‘<keyword id="1626067" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chinky">chinky</keyword>’, ‘<keyword id="2959948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thulla">thulla</keyword>’, ‘<keyword id="1256925" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tambi">tambi</keyword>’, and ‘sulla’ directed towards people from one community or the other? 
 Let me first tell you about an incident that I remember from my days in the <keyword id="120637" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Military-Academy">Indian Military Academy</keyword> where we had a sikh friend who was in our course but a couple of years elder and had streaks of grey hair. To top it all he was fond of staying away from pranks and troubles and was forever talking about ethics and remaining on the good side of the law. At some stage someone must have called him ‘buds’ which is like calling a 20-something a grandpa. No, I never called him buds but I did wonder then, as I do now, if there was anything offensive in the word. Most of us loved him and so buds as a form of address reflected affection. But this sikh Gentleman Cadet, despite all his wise outpourings was invariably peeved and did not appreciate his being called buds. I haven’t met him after we left the IMA and so I hope he either got acclimatised to this pet name, if I may call it that… or people just stopped calling him buds in his regiment. 
 
If you think this kind of renaming happens only in India, look beyond our borders and hear ‘paki’, ‘negro’, ‘nigger’, or declared slurs like ‘bin laden’, ‘jehadi, and ‘cabbie’ for Arabs, or ‘jew’ during the nazi heydays, or ‘nazi’ now, or ‘bindi’, ‘desi’, and ‘patel’ for Indians, or ‘dubya’ and ‘jarhead’ for Americans, ‘bubba’, ‘pus’, and ‘gora’ for the whites, ‘nacho’ and ‘taco’ for the Spanish… so from ‘Alibaba’ to ‘zipperhead’ our world is full of interesting innuendoes that need not necessarily spend their lives being calibrated as offensive words. 
 
These are the words that have made life just so much more interesting and injected with laughter… banning them or shunning them is like Modi taking offense to his 56 inch chest quote getting pulled apart and minced to prove some point or the other. 
 The other day <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> referred to the Delhi policeman as a ‘thulla’ and everyone from Bassi to the media howled with displeasure. Come on, we’ve all had umpteen names for Kejriwal and ‘aaptards’ for his party is probably more known than even ‘thulla’. I decided to know more about the word ‘thulla’ and the first interesting derivation was offered by the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/brfdictionary/glossary/t/thulla">BRFDictionary</a> on the net that said: “The term is used to denote a stereotypical slow moving police constable with a big gut. The origin of this term has to do with the word for a sack made of jute fiber, which is "thula" in some languages in the Eastern part of India. As it happens, police constables in many states in India are issued a brown starched uniform that looks like it was made from a sack. Hence the word for "jute sack" was morphed into slang for "police".” By the way, our policemen aren’t just ‘thullas’ but are also ‘mamas’ and ‘pandus’… and our <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> movies make sure that we don’t ever forget these dear words. The online dictionary for Hindi words was predictably less brave and avoided any reference to this word which is ridiculous because the word is as much a part of the language as any other and deserves a place in history… I mean, do we just let lovely and much used (sometimes abused) words fade away and disappear? 
 
I don’t think it is great idea to go guns blazing at all these forms of address that we classify as slur words… let them live their lives, accept them, and soon enough you’ll know that like ‘Uncle Tom’, ‘spook’, and ‘shine’ every word becomes a part of the glorious history of civilization. 
 
The story of Chinky, Thulla, and Tambi is as interesting as is the story behind any other word in any other language and thus needs to be kept alive.

The story of Chinky, Thulla, and Tambi

Nobody could have imagined that <keyword id="2573" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Air-India">Air India</keyword>, country’s third-largest airline, would benefit from the lack of stopovers. However, that’s what has happened after US government imposed a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/the-us-government-has-banned-laptops-on-certain-international-flights-from-the-middle-east/articleshow/57751789.cms">ban on in-cabin bags </a>on certain direct flights from the Gulf. 
 
There has been a 60% rise in the number of tickets booked on Air India flights bound to the US, given that these passengers, irrespective of their nationality, can carry laptops and other gadgets in their cabin bags. On the other hand, passengers of flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, Jeddah, Amman, Cairo, Istanbul or Casablanca need to check in all electronic devices larger than a smartphone. 
Not only this, they also have to stand in longer security queues once they land in the US. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/shiv-sena-mp-ravindra-gaikwad-banned-from-all-indian-domestic-flights/articleshow/57811838.cms">Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad banned from all Indian domestic flights</a> 
 Flights operated by carriers like <keyword id="42740" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Emirates">Emirates</keyword>, <keyword id="6437601" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Etihad">Etihad</keyword> (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/jet-airways-is-the-only-indian-name-in-this-list-of-top-200-most-influential-brands-in-the-world/articleshow/57410803.cms">Jet Airways </a>flights that transit from Abu Dhabi), <keyword id="109797" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Qatar-Airways">Qatar Airways</keyword>, Saudia, etc need to have a transit halt in the Middle East before flying off to the US. This makes their passengers entitled for the gadget ban. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/someone-loss-is-someone-elses-gain-indian-airline-companies-set-to-benefit-from-us-ban-on-in-flight-gadgets/articleshow/57768672.cms">Someone loss is someone else’s gain! Indian airline companies set to benefit from US ban on in-flight gadgets</a> 
 
"A small percentage of passengers from Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat have booked tickets into India to transit from Delhi, Mumbai and then fly to the US from here. Last week, the passenger load on flights from the Gulf to India was about 83% which is a tad high for this time of the year. Because of the laptop ban, we expect the number to go up in the coming weeks,'' an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/air-indias-loans-could-mean-less-government-bailouts/articleshow/57574110.cms">Air India </a>official told TNN. 
 
(Image source India Public Sector)

Air India is benefiting from US gadget ban

Pakistani cricket players took part in the first auction of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IPL&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Indian Premier League</a> in 2008, but the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Mumbai+attacks&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Mumbai 26/11 carnage</a> the same year changed everything. 
 
Ties between the two nuclear-armed rivals soured and a decision was taken to not allow Pakistani cricketers to play in the tournament, till such time political relations between the two neighbours improved. Now, that we know is almost an impossibility in the current scenario. 
 
A lot has happened since then, diplomatically, and India and Pakistan have played many matches in the country. Still, the non-participation clause for them in the IPL stands. 
 
IPL is regarded as a celebration of cricket, where players from different teams and countries converge in India to enthral cricket fans of a nation that eats, breathes and sleeps cricket. 
 
We are in the ninth season of the league and we sure as hell are missing out on some brilliant Pakistani cricketers and the class they could’ve added to the game, were they participating. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Cricketers-who-turned-millionaires-thanks-to-IPL-9/articleshow/51748652.cms">Cricketers who turned millionaires, thanks to IPL-9</a> 
 
In 2010, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/ShahRukh-Khans-Kolkata-Knight-Riders-are-all-set-to-fire-up-IPL-9-Have-a-look-atthe-star-squad/articleshow/51742365.cms">Shah Rukh Khan, the co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders</a> (KKR), said he wanted a few Pakistani players to play, but could not bid for them because of political pressure, especially from Shiv Sena. 
 
But if, our political leaders would allow the IPL to remain true to its meaning, a pure game of cricket, devoid of any politics, we take great pleasure in listing for you all the Pakistani players that would’ve added the x-factor to this season. 
 
(Images: Indiatimes, Reuters)

Pakistani players we’d love to see play in the IPL

A day after winning its first major legislature battle to bag the Speaker's post in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly -- the Chief Minister <keyword id="193503" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="eknath-shinde" source="Orion">Eknath Shinde</keyword> government supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword>) will seek the crucial 'vote of confidence' in the <keyword id="7173" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="house" source="Orion">House</keyword>, scheduled here on Monday. The trust vote for the Shinde-led government -- sworn-in on June 30 after the collapse of the 31-month-old Maha Vikas Aghadi regime -- comes on the second day of the two-day Special Session of the Assembly convened by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on July 3-4 Deputy Chief Minister <keyword id="6355042" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="devendra-fadnavis" source="Orion">Devendra Fadnavis</keyword> has expressed confidence that the ruling alliance will easily win the House trust as it has 166 MLAs on its side, comprising the BJP, the Shiv Sena's rebel group which broke away on June 20, besides independents and smaller parties' legislators -- sufficient to clear the midway mark of 145 (in the 288-member Lower House). On Sunday, the government cleared its first litmus test when BJP's Advocate Rahul Narwekar -- a first-time legislator -- was elected as Speaker of the House with a comfortable margin. While Narwekar, (45), bagged 164 votes, the MVA candidate Rajan Salvi secured only 107 votes of the 171 votes polled in the 288-member house. <keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> leader Nana Patole was the last Speaker, who was elected late in 2019 after the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress MVA government headed by Chief Minister <keyword id="53973" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="uddhav-thackeray" source="Orion">Uddhav Thackeray</keyword> took office. However, Patole quit the post in February 2021 after he was appointed as the state Congress President and since then, <keyword id="42402" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ncp" source="Orion">NCP</keyword>'s Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal was officiating for nearly 18 months. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/news/who-will-get-the-party-symbol-bow-and-arrow-if-shiv-sena-splits/articleshow/92611630.cms">It’s not the CM seat but the one who wields ‘bow and arrow’ will be the Sena head</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/ban-on-single-use-plastic-kicks-in-across-india-as-the-country-recognises-the-choking-impacts-of-plastic-waste-on-the-environment/articleshow/92600992.cms">Ban on single-use plastic kicks in across India as the country recognises the choking impacts of plastic waste on the environment</a>

Eknath Shinde's newly formed government to seek vote of confidence today

India's largest opposition party blames national media for its lack of influence — but its new YouTube channel may only be targeting the Hindi belt

<keyword id="1671" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh-Khan">Shah Rukh Khan</keyword>’s upcoming movie <keyword id="6361860" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Raees">Raees</keyword>, which is said to be loosely based on the life of Gujarati illicit liquor business tycoon Abdul Latif, has once again run into troubled times. 
 
If reports are to be believed, Latif’s son Mustak Ahmed Abdul Latif Shaikh has sent legal notices to the makers and actors of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Raees-teaser-How-Shah-Rukh-Khan-loves-to-tease-his-fans/articleshow/48109350.cms" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">Raees</a>, including Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Ritesh Sidhwani and director <keyword id="33868" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rahul-Dholakia">Rahul Dholakia</keyword>. In the notice, he has asked why they are making a film on his father’s life without his consent. 
 
Sheikh thinks that while his father was a famous businessman with deep roots in society, this movie would be projecting him in bad light, which is why he has asked for an explanation about the makers’ motives. 
 
This, however, is not the first time that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Salman-Khan-avoids-Box-office-clash-with-good-friend-Shah-Rukh-Khan/articleshow/48265347.cms" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">Raees</a> has faced tough times. For his remarks on the intolerance row, Shah Rukh Khan faced opposition from the members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad when he was shooting for Raees in Gujarat. Not only this, since the leading lady of the movie, debutante <keyword id="701143" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mahira-Khan">Mahira Khan</keyword>, is from Pakistan and Shiv Sena had called for a ban on Pakistani artistes in Maharashtra, the Mumbai schedule had to be shot under tight security. 
 
Looks like the film is having some serious trouble in its production, but the teaser of the movie, along with the fact that Shah Rukh Khan is going to play a grey character after a long time, we are hopeful that the film would be worth the trouble. 
 
Here is the teaser of the movie.

Shah Rukh's just got sued!

Looks like Maharashtra's Women and <keyword id="493211" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Child-Development-Minister">Child Development Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6367940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pankaja-Munde">Pankaja Munde</keyword> will be in neck deep trouble following allegations that she cleared purchases worth Rs 206 crore through 24 Government Resolutions on a single day instead of inviting tenders. 

	The alleged purchases relate to a host of items including snacks and books for children in institutions across the state.
 Congress and other opposition parties did not miss the opportunity to attack on the winning party. Dubbing it as a "big scam", Congress and other opposition parties attacked the 8-month-old BJP-led government headed by <keyword id="6355042" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devendra-Fadnavis">Devendra Fadnavis</keyword>. Former chief minister and Congress leader <keyword id="6356262" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prithviraj-Chavan">Prithviraj Chavan</keyword> demanded a CBI inquiry and said the scam exposed the "true colours" of the government. Asked if he would demand Munde's resignation, Chavan said, "Be it Pankaja Munde or Vinod Tawade (education minister caught in a row over educational qualification), this government would not remove anyone. After all, this is the policy of the Modi government to brazen out all allegations." "The scam has exposed the real character of this government. The Minister (Munde) must give an explanation on the issue", Chavan said. 

	The scam first came to light on June 15, when the office of Pankaja Munde received a letter from Ahmednagar Zila Parishad president Manjushree Gund complaining about the quality of chikki (a popular snack) distributed to tribal students under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Gund said the chikki was contaminated with clay. 
	 
	 

	This is the first time that an alleged scam of this magnitude has come to light after the BJP-Shiv Sena government took office.
 

	All purchases were cleared by Munde, daughter of BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde on a single day on February 13 through 24 Government Resolutions (GR). 
	 
	 

	As per norms, all government purchases above Rs 3 lakh have to be done through e-tendering. Fadnavis has banned purchases through the rate contract system, in which material is purchased after rates have been negotiated.
 

	Pankaja Munde was unavailable for comments. An official in her department said the minister was out of India and was expected to return on June 28. 

	 
	 
	(image credits: shahernama.com)

Maharashtra Minister allegedly involved Rs. 206 crore scam

142 million voters go to polls today in 20 states—  here’s a look at the key issues in every state

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://twitter.com/NEWS9TWEETS/status/413268303650385920">Twitter/News9</a></div></div></div>India vowed Wednesday to bring one of its diplomats home at any price after her arrest in New York, as she told how she broke down in tears after being stripped and cavity-searched.
With one newspaper hailing the government for "taking on Uncle Sam", Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid pledged to "restore the dignity" of the diplomat -- whose treatment at the hands of a superpower has touched a raw nerve here.
Khurshid's promise came a day after India announced a series of reprisals and despite an overnight plea by the US State Department not to allow the row to damage relations.
"It is my duty to bring the lady back," Khurshid told lawmakers.
"We have to restore her dignity and I will do it at any cost," he added in the highest-level intervention by an Indian official since deputy consul general Devyani Khobragade was arrested last Thursday.
The US Marshals Service confirmed on Tuesday that Khobragade, 39, had been strip-searched like other prisoners after being detained while dropping her two children off at school.
US authorities say she not only paid a domestic servant a fraction of the minimum wage but also lied in a visa application for the employee, an Indian national who has since absconded.
In an email to colleagues published in the media Wednesday, Khobragade said she told arresting authorities that she had diplomatic immunity -- only to suffer repeated searches and to be jailed with "common criminals".
"I must admit that I broke down many times as the indignities of repeated handcuffing, stripping and cavity searches, swabbing, in a hold-up with common criminals and drug addicts were all being imposed upon me despite my incessant assertions of immunity," she said in the email.
"I got the strength to regain composure and remain dignified, thinking that I must represent all of my colleagues and my country with confidence and pride," she added.
The revelation that a high-ranking diplomat could be subjected to such treatment while on a posting to the United States has caused huge offence in a country that sees itself as an emerging world power.
India was locked in a furious diplomatic row with Italy earlier this year when the Rome government initially reneged on a promise to fly two marines back to New Delhi to face trial over a fatal shooting.
The marines did eventually return after India ordered immigration authorities to prevent Italy's ambassador from leaving the country.
With a general election just months away, the ruling Congress and the nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are both keen to be seen as standing up to the United States over the issue.
Yashwant Sinha, a former BJP foreign minister, said Tuesday that India should now arrest American gays who were in India after a ruling last week that upheld a colonial-era ban on homosexuality.
"India takes on Uncle Sam," read the front-page headline of The Hindustan Times, while the Mail Today splashed with "Bulldozer Diplomacy" on top of a picture of a digger outside the US embassy on Tuesday as it dragged away concrete barricades.
As part of a series of measures, US consular officials have also been told to return identity cards that speed up travel into and through India. Import clearances for them, including for alcohol, have been suspended.
A group of protestors from the ultra-nationalist Shiv Sena organisation staged an anti-US demonstration in New Delhi on Wednesday, shouting slogans such as "Down with Barack Obama!"
"The way America has tortured our diplomat is wrong. They stripped her down and humiliated an Indian woman, an Indian representative and we will not tolerate that," said Jaiprakash Baghal, one of the protesters.
"We say if any American official comes to India, even if it is the American President himself, then he should be stripped down and mistreated in the same way."
State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf admitted the arrest was a "sensitive issue" but insisted it was a "separate and isolated incident" which should not be allowed to affect broader US-Indian ties.
Harf added that as a consular official, Khobragade does not have full diplomatic immunity but has consular immunity applicable only to her professional duties.
Khobragade is alleged to have paid her worker just $3.31 an hour despite despite signing a contract to pay her some three times that amount.
Pay and conditions for servants is kept mostly private in India but there have been a number of high-level cases in the US about their treatment.
In New York in 2011, an Indian diplomat was accused of treating his domestic helper as a "slave" by forcing her to work long hours for $300 a month, confiscating her passport and making her sleep in a closet.
India backed the diplomat and expressed disappointment over his treatment.
 
<div class="nc_footer">
Copyright (2013) AFP. All rights reserved.
</div>

You Searched For "shiv sena on burqa ban" and got 11 results

Sri Lanka ban on ‘face veil’ sparks burqa debate in India

Rimin Dutt

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad banned from all Indian domestic flights

BI India Bureau

The story of Chinky, Thulla, and Tambi

Arvind Passey

Air India is benefiting from US gadget ban

BI India Bureau

Pakistani players we’d love to see play in the IPL

Akanksha Jain

Eknath Shinde's newly formed government to seek vote of confidence today

IANS

India's largest opposition party blames national media for its lack of influence — but its new YouTube channel may only be targeting the Hindi belt

Prabhjote

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