India trade minister accuses U.S. of protectionism

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's trade minister launched a broadside on Tuesday against the United States, accusing Washington of trade protectionism and making it hard for Indian nationals to obtain U.S. visas.

Trade Minister Anand Sharma, speaking at a news briefing, also said that India's patent law was compliant with the rules of the World Trade Organisation. India would not agree to tougher rules on protecting intellectual property, he added.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Rajesh Kumar Singh; Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by John Chalmers)