India-born US prosecutor opens up about scorn over NYC cases against South Asian defendants

After years of silence on the issue, a U.S. prosecutor born in India is opening up about scorn he has faced over high-profile cases in New York involving South Asian defendants, particularly that of an Indian diplomat that led one commentator in India to call him an "Uncle Tom."

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara described the experience recently in a speech at Harvard Law School. He says one commentator questioned if he took on such cases to "serve his white masters." Bharara quipped his so-called white masters are presumably Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama.

Bharara has received such criticism for years for his prosecutions of South Asian- and Indian-born Wall Street traders. He says the attacks have been painful for him, especially because his parents followed them closely.