Emphatically rejecting the charge that attacks on African nationals were racial, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said in the lok Sabha that prompt action was taken by the Government and so far six arrests had been made and probe was underway into the incidents in Greater Noida.
Swaraj described “unfortunate, painful and surprising” the African missions statement describing the attacks on African students as “xenophobic and racial”, saying the Indian response to this cannot be called inadequate by any means.
She said all incidents against foreign nationals, including Indians, anywhere could not be straight way leveled as racial. Stating that every incident was not racist, Swaraj referred to case of Kenyan woman who first alleged harassment but later withdrew her complaint. She also pointed out that the Kenyan woman who told a lie was staying in India with an expiry VISA.
Citing the recent incidents of attacks on Indians in the US and the killing of an Indian in Mozambique earlier, Swaraj said India did not term them racially-inspired.
The Minister said racial crimes are “pre-planned”, which was not the case with the recent attack on the African students by a mob in Greater Noida, asserting that the Government is committed to their safety. The Minister said “let robe come” before judging the incidents as racists or otherwise.
She said the African group head of the missions, who had issued a strongly-worded statement, was called by her Ministry on Wednesday and conveyed the Government's response.
Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry VK Singh spoke to him about the prompt response taken by her as well as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and told him that the African missions could have sought a meeting with the Prime Minister if they were still not satisfied, she said.
She said MJ Akbar, her deputy in the Ministry, kept in touch with African missions and told them that the Prime Minister was personally monitoring the situation.
“The Dean's statement that our political leadership is silent is completely contrary to facts... His statement was surprising and painful. We have said that it was unfortunate. The Indian Government's response cannot be called inadequate by any means,” she said.
Swaraj said African Missions could have approached various Indian institutions like Judiciary, NGOs and Human Rights bodies instead demanding for an investigation by the Human Rights Council.
The Minister gave the statement soon after KC Venugopal (Congress) sought to see the development as a “diplomatic failure”.
Swaraj said a youth in Greater Noida had died and his parents had blamed “drug overdose” for this. locals took out a candle march, during which an uncontrolled mob of criminals who had infiltrated the crowd attacked the African students, she said.
“Racist crimes are pre-planned which was not the case here,” she said.
Immediately after the incidents in Greater Noida, Swaraj said she had spoken to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and tweeted about this.