Thaindian News

Chandigarh, Jan 8 (IANS) Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the wife of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Friday criticised the central government for its “cold hearted handling” of the attacks on Indian students in Australia, and demanded setting up of a parliamentary panel to study the situation.
Badal said a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should visit Australia and submit a ground-level report to parliament on the attacks on Indian students and immigrants.

The committee should have members from those states from where students have been targeted in racial attacks in Australia, the Bathinda MP said.

In a statement, Badal criticized the union government and Minster of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur for the “inappropriate and cold-hearted handling” of the attacks on Indian students, mostly from Punjab.

She said India has failed to give strong message to the Australian government despite increasing attacks on Indian students since last year. She said the union government should issue an advisory to Indian nationals cautioning them against visiting Australia.

Badal said Punjab had a reason to worry as most of the victims belonged to the state.

The attacks on and death of Punjab’s Nitin Garg in Melbourne and Ranjodh Singh in New South Wales, has led to an uproar in the state.

Hundreds of students from the state opt for education and immigration in Australia every year. The education migration from Punjab is worth millions of dollars to Australia.