NEW DELHI, July 31 — India’s foreign minister told her visiting counterpart John Kerry today that US surveillance of an ally was “unacceptable” following allegations that Washington’s National Security Agency targeted the ruling party.

“I raised this issue and even told them that when the news came out in the Indian media, people were angry,” Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said at a joint press conference with Kerry.

“I also told them that if we consider each other friendly countries, it is unacceptable that a friendly country spies on other friendly nations.”

A classified document made public by the Washington Post earlier this month showed that India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was among authorised targets for the NSA in 2010 while it was in opposition.

In response, Kerry told reporters: “We have a policy in the United States with respect to intelligence matters, we do not discuss intelligence matters.” — AFP