"Certainly, this is not the time for resumption of such cricket ties, " Indian foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao was quoted as saying on Friday.

BBC: India 'refuse Pakistan invitation'

India's ambassador to the United States, Nirupama Rao, argued in USA Today that everyone benefits from a generous guest worker policy, with Indian tech firms also creating 50, 000 jobs for American workers and consumers benefiting from cheaper technology.

NPR: US Immigration Bill Could Slow Indian Outsourcers

"The demands they made and the people whose release they demanded ... were definitely linked with al Qaeda, (and) I would like to think even the hijackers were linked with this terrorist organization, " says Indian government spokesman Nirupama Rao.

CNN: Similarities seen between Indian Airlines, U.S. hijackings