India asks Australia to take urgent action on attacks

Stepping up pressure on Australia in the wake of continuing attacks on Indian students, India Thursday asked Canberra to take 'urgent action' while it stressed the 'need for calm and balance'.

Questioning the choice of Australia as an education destination by Indian students, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Thursday asked Canberra to ensure that Indian citizens are safe in that country and rebuffed Australia's claims of 'hysteria' in India.

Krishna met Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese to voice India's serious concerns and emphasised the need for prompt remedial action, the external affairs ministry said here.

'It is a matter of concern that, in spite of serious and concerted efforts by the Australian government to deal with this issue to address our concerns, these attacks are continuing, and have even resulted in fatalities,' the ministry said.

India's High Commissioner to Australia Sujatha Singh and Consul General in Melbourne Anita Nair Thursday met the Acting Premier of Victoria, Rob Hulls, and the Deputy Commissioner of the Victoria Police to impress upon them the need for urgent action.

'They were assured that the Victoria government was making all efforts to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice,' the ministry said.

After the Australian authorities reportedly accused India of whipping hysteria over the issue of attacks, subsequently denied by the Australian envoy here, New Delhi said 'there was need for calm and balance, to let the concerned authorities in Australia take remedial measures to ensure there are no further incidents of this nature.'

The body of Nitin Garg, an Indian student who was knifed in West Footscray suburb of Melbourne Saturday night, is expected to arrive Saturday afternoon. The Indian government has assured financial assistance to the family of the deceased.

India has also formally asked the Australian government for complete statistics regarding the number of attacks as also the statistical break-down.

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