Clinton assures Krishna of justice for TVU students

Betwa Sharma

New York, Feb 13 (PTI) Secretary of State Hillary Clintontoday assured External Affairs Minister S M Krishna that theissue of Indian students enrolled in the now closed Tri ValleyUniversity would receive her promptest attention and that"justice" would be done.

Clinton gave the assurance in the matter during a40-minute telephonic conversation with the visiting Indianminister, a high-level Indian source said. The issue of theallegedly tainted TVU is understood to have figuredprominently in Krishna''s conversation during when Clintonagreed to personally intervene in the matter.

Clinton has asked Indian Ambassador to the U.S MeeraShankar to meet her on Monday and provide all details, thesource said, adding this will be followed up with her meetingwith with Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Tuesday.

"She (Clinton) has ensured that justice will be doneto the Indian students," the source told PTI.

According to a federal complaint filed in a Californiacourt in January, the University helped foreign nationalsillegally acquire immigration status. The university is saidto have 1,555 students. As many as 95 per cent of thesestudents are Indian nationals, the complaint said. Most of theIndian students are from Andhra Pradaesh.

Krishna told Clinton that these students who came onlegal visas stood to lose out academically and financially andthey should be allowed time to find another university totransfer before being deported.

"Our guys have been cheated," is the sentiment Krishnaput across to Clinton, according to sources.

Recently, 18 students in California were radio-taggedby ICE as part of their investigation against TVU. Anklemonitors send a radio frequency signal containing location andother information to a receiver. So far, two students havebeen de-tagged.

The Indian minister, according to sources, also saidthat the radio-tagging of students was unacceptable, andClinton has assured him that within the next 15 days theseradio-tags would be removed.

Clinton and Krishna also discussed her upcoming visitto New Delhi for the Indo-US strategic dialogue and also therecent events in Egypt. .