No rift with India over Haneef episode, says Australia

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 told reporters.

Howard said 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 last month.

"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".