Washington, Dec 18 (IANS): As a fuming India struck back over the arrest and alleged strip search of an Indian diplomat in New York, the US insisted it had acted "appropriately" and instead asked New Delhi to meet its diplomatic obligations.

Reacting to a slew of steps taken by India to pare down the privileges of American diplomats in New Delhi in a retaliatory measure, the State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said that "an isolated incident" should not be allowed to cloud a "very important" relationship.

"We understand that this is a sensitive issue for many in India," she said, adding that "We are looking into the intake procedures surrounding this arrest to ensure that all appropriate procedures were followed and every opportunity for courtesy was extended."

Harf said that federal authorities would work on the issue with India "in the spirit of partnership and cooperation that marks our broad bilateral relationship."