India should take attacks in Australia seriously: Badal

NEW DELHI - Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday asserted that the Union Government should take the attacks on the youths in Australia seriously.

Badal’s comment came after a young Indian man living in Australia named Nitin Garg was stabbed to death at West Foorscray, a suburb of Melbourne by some goons on Saturday night.

Addressing the media after his meeting with the Union Sports Minister M. S. Gill in the national capital, Badal said that Indian Government should discuss the issue strongly with the Australian Government.

“It is quite unfortunate that such incidents are happening quite frequently in Australia. Government of India should strongly react to this and have a serious discussion with Australian government. Thousands of youngsters from our state are in Australia for either studying or working,” Badal said.

“If they would have belonged from other states then the respective state Government would have taken up the issue quite strongly. Indian Government and especially External Affairs Ministry should take up this issue seriously,” he added.

Nitin Garg was walking to his workplace of a fast food restaurant in Melbourne when he was attacked in a park. Police said that Garg managed to stagger 300 metres to the restaurant before collapsing. He was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital where he later died.

A series of attacks on Indian students in 2009, attributed by police to opportunistic criminals, escalated into a diplomatic issue between Australia and India after some Indian students and Indian media labelled the attacks as racist.

The attacks prompted protests and calls for better protection of international students by local authorities, with some saying they no longer felt safe in Australia. (ANI)