Have not Violated any Service Rules, Will not Resign: Devyani Khobragade

After having being stripped of her duties as director in the partnership development division, diplomat Devyani Khobragade told NDTV on Saturday that she will not resign as she has not violated any service rules.

Khobragade however refused to comment on Indo-US ties; but defended the dual passports of her children.

The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier stripped Khobragade of her duties as director in the partnership development division, a week after she spoke to NDTV about her arrest and strip search in the US. The ministry said that Khobragade did not take due approval before making the comments and put her under "compulsory wait".

The action was taken against Khobragade also because the ministry was "miffed" with her for not declaring that her children have US passports, said sources. She is facing a vigilance inquiry over the matter, which she strongly defended in her interview to NDTV.

"Some false reports have come in the newspapers that there is some illegality around my children's passports and that I hid a fact that my children have American passports. There is nothing of that sort, I myself informed the government that my kids were born in the US and are considered US citizens," Khobragade had told NDTV.

The former Indian Foreign Service officer was arrested and strip-searched in New York in December last year on charges of exploiting her domestic help. The incident had strained relations between India and the US.

Khobragade and the Indian government have opposed the charges. She is now back in India.