New York, Aug. 21 -- USA's former Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has said that India must be treated like a "prized free and democratic partner" and not like an "adversary" like Beijing. She referred to the years of efforts put in to draw India closer to the United States and said that "scuttling" this momentum would be a "strategic disaster".

In an opinion piece published in Newsweek, Haley argued that New Delhi's rise does not threaten the free world, "unlike Communist-controlled China".

"India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it is - not an adversary like China, which has thus far avoided sanctions for its Russian oil purchases, despite being one of Moscow's largest customers. If that d...