Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) India Thursday voiced “dismay” over fresh assaults on four Indians in two separate incidents in Australia and reminded Canberra of its responsibility to immediately bring to justice the perpetrators of the attacks.
The latest attacks are set to prompt another meeting between External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith on the margins of a London conference on Afghanistan, which is now going on.

“We have learnt with dismay today of fresh incidents of violence against Indians residing in Australia, with the latest reports coming from Brisbane where four Indians, including three taxi drivers, were attacked in two separate incidents on Thursday, January 28,” Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said in a statement here.

“… In view of the latest incidents reported today, the EAM (external affairs minister) is likely to raise this issue once again with the Australian foreign minister later today on the margins of the meetings in London,” she said.

Krishna held an hour-long meeting Wednesday with Smith in London over the wave of unrelenting attacks on Indian students in Australia.

After the meeting, Smith told Krishna that Australia had set up a high-level group to look into the increasing attacks on Indian students in that country. The group will hold its first meeting by the end of this week and will report back to New Delhi.

India’s High Commissioner to Australia Sujatha Singh is currently visiting Brisbane, and is meeting community leaders and members, and the Queensland police authorities.

She has impressed upon Australian authorities to ensure that “remedial measures are urgently undertaken”.