US diplomat's comments on ankle tagging 'disturbing': Sibal

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today termed as "disturbing" the comments of a US diplomat calling ankle monitors tagged on some Indian students in California as "very hip and happening."

"Comments of the US official (on ankle monitors tagged on some Indian students) are disturbing...," Sibal told reporters on the sidelines of an Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) function here.

Juliet Wur, Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate in Hyderabad, had yesterday said, "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."

Some of the Indian students at the Tri-Valley University in California, who are in danger of being deported after the college was shut down over alleged visa fraud, are being made to wear ankle bracelets so that they can be tracked. The students are mostly from Andhra Pradesh.

Wurr had later apologized for the remarks.

"I deeply apologise. Because I would never want to insult or hurt the feelings of any Indian and particularly of young people who are going through a very trying time now with this situation. I forgot about the feelings behind that and I think people responded when I did not mention that," she had said last night.

Asked about steps taken by the Union HRD ministry on the issue, Sibal said, "The external affairs ministry is looking into the matter."

Yesterday, he had also appealed the student community to be "careful" in choosing institutes while going abroad to pursue higher studies.