Why NRI envoy is becoming a pain in Delhi’s neck

Contacted in New York, Agnihotri denied he had made a request for the special cash. ‘‘I did not ask for a discretionary grant. This is wrong,’’ Agnihotri said.

However, Government officials said here that they were ‘‘somewhat uncomfortable’’ about this request, adding that ‘‘in principle’’ the decision had been made to sanction the money. Nevertheless, it’s not been sent so far, possibly because of bureaucratic resistance.

His latest ‘‘request’’ comes after several demands for privilege and diplomatic immunity that have not only scandalised the Ministry of External Affairs but are also said to be giving New Delhi a bad name in the US State Department.

Despite being a ‘‘permanent resident’’ of the US, which means that he is a ‘‘green card holder,’’ Agnihotri sought diplomatic immunity from Washington some time ago. Pat came the reply from the State Department: No diplomatic status could be given to any person if he had a ‘‘green card.’’

Not only does Agnihotri keep his ‘‘permanent resident’’ status, worse, he continues to plead with the MEA that it persuade Washington for an assurance, that when in the future he would like the ‘‘green card’’ back, he would get it under ‘‘accelerated procedures.’’

MEA sources admitted that Agnihotri’s yen for diplomatic status also had something to do with the fact that he would otherwise not be entitled to a tax-free salary. As an ordinary citizen, he would have to pay large sums as tax to the US government, sources said.

When his designation as ‘‘ambassador’’ began to create problems with Washington—the Vienna Convention clearly states that every country can only be represented by one ambassador—New Delhi thought it would get around the problem by calling Agnihotri an ‘‘advisor’’ in its mission ranks. But the State Department threw that designation right out of the window, saying there was no such thing as an ‘‘advisor’’ on their rule books.

Then the US pointed out that ‘‘ambassadors’’ usually lived in Washington, not in New York. Which put the MEA in a right royal quandary: How could ‘‘two’’ ambassadors, even if one was a sort of ‘‘cultural ambassador’’ live in the same city? No, New York would have to do.

Clearly, Agnihotri now seems resigned about the fact that accreditation to the US seems increasingly improbable. ‘‘My diplomatic status comes from India, there is no need to be accredited to any other country,’’ he told The Indian Express, adding that since his ‘‘beat was global and I have to live somewhere, I’m living in America.’’

He claimed he was quite confident that the government would be soon able to persuade the US to ‘‘waive, under the rules’’ all the problems regarding his green card status, the fact that he should be living in Washington DC and not as he does in New York as well as the designation of ‘‘advisor’’ in the mission. ‘‘Everything will work out,’’ he said.

But Agnihotri would not say whether or not he had already relinquished his ‘‘green card.’’ ‘‘There is no problem giving up the green card. If the Government of India desires, I can get it back any time. Nobody has asked me to surrender it. It is the job of the government to work it out with the US,’’ he said.

So far, though, he seems to be enjoying his job to the hilt. Entitled to first-class air travel for himself and his wife, Agnihotri has the world as his portfolio. Last week he was in London, earlier in Canada, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago, even Fiji. Soon, he said, he would be going to Mauritius and then to the West Asia.