Kerry Skipped Paris March For 'Important Work' In India

Washington: In damage control mode, U.S admitted that it should have sent a higher profile official to the Paris unity march, but said President Barack Obama could not go because of security considerations.

Secretary of State John Kerry too could not make it to the anti-terrorism rally attended by over 40 world leaders as he was on a pre-planned trip to India "doing some important work representing US interests there" the White House said Monday.

"I think it's fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there," spokesman Josh Earnest said responding to criticism over the absence of Obama, vice president Joe Biden or a high tanking US official from the rally.

Earnest said the rally was conceived on Friday evening and did not allow enough time to pull off the security feat required for Obama to march amid the public, which attracted more than three-and-a-half million people.

Earnest said it posed "significant security challenges." Asked why was it not possible for Kerry to make the trip instead, the spokesperson said: "What I can tell you is that certainly the Secretary of State is somebody who has very important responsibilities himself."

"He was in India this past weekend doing some important work representing U.S interests there," Earnest said referring to his attendance at the Vibrant Gujarat summit in Ahmedabad and his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kerry, he noted, would be going to Paris after his trip to India and Pakistan where "he actually visited the school in Peshawar that was the site of the terrible terrorist attack just a couple of weeks ago."

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