Melbourne: Dispelling impressions that the Haneef episode has led to a rift with India, Australia on Wednesday said it was keeping New Delhi informed of the developments in the case.
"I don't see any rift developing in relation to this matter," Prime Minister John Howard said. Howard also said that the Indian government had gone through the processes of inquiry about one of its citizens.
"We would do exactly the same thing in the same circumstances," he said in Sydney.
Expressing concern over the coverage of the case by Indian media, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said, "The important thing for Australia and India is that we don't let the media, particularly the Indian media drive the relationship - that we make sure we keep fully in contact with each other."
India on Tuesday summoned Australia's top diplomat in New Delhi to convey its concern over the treatment of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef, 27, who has been charged with recklessly supporting a terror outfit in connection with failed car bomb attacks in Britain in June.
"They (Indian authorities) have asked questions about it - not right to use the word concerns - but they have asked questions about it and we have been able to answer those questions," Downer said adding, "We will continue to do so and continue to keep them informed."
When asked what those questions were, Downer said, “Throughout the whole procedure they have wanted to be fully briefed about what's going on and we've fully briefed them".
Downer said a main concern was how the Indian media was covering Australia's detention of the Gold Coast Hospital registrar.
Echoing similar views on bilateral ties, Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, who has received flak for his decision to revoke Haneef's visa after he was granted bail, said relations with India remain strong despite New Delhi's concern over the arrest and continuing detention of Haneef.
"I don't think this is causing any rift between Australia and India," Andrews said. "We have a very warm relationship with India."
Andrews said his decision to cancel Haneef's visa was not based on any racial grounds. He said it was done on different grounds to those a magistrate would use to determine bail.
"If a person in Haneef's situation had been a Catholic from Ireland or a Reformed Lutheran from the Netherlands or an atheist from where-ever, that's irrelevant," Andrews said adding, "What's relevant here is whether or not this person has associated with someone who is engaged in criminal conduct."
On the leaking of a police interview of Haneef, Downer said, "If the leaking of the document is anyway going to weaken the investigation, that is very regrettable.
"Hopefully, that won't turn out to be the case," he said. The Australian Prime Minister slammed the leak saying, "Whoever has been responsible for the leaking of this document is not trying to make sure that justice is done."
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