Wary that the attack on the Swiss tourist couple at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh could dent Incredible India’s image, the Centre on Thursday intervened in the matter seeking a report from the State Government and terming the incident a “matter of shame for Indians” even as all of the five accused were apprehended by the police in swift action.
Asked about the accused, Additional Director General (ADG) Crime, UP, Chandra Prakash said, “Initial reports said that some of them were minors. But as probe is on, it will not be fair to disclose their names.”
Earlier, Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj tweeted saying she had asked for a report from the UP Gover-nment while Tourism Minister KJ Alphons wrote to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressing that “such incidents negatively impact our image and are detrimental to our efforts in promoting India as a tourism destination.” For his part, Cul-ture Minister Mahesh Sharma condemned the attack saying, “it is a matter of shame for us.”
The two Swiss tourists, Quentin Jeremy Clerc, and his female friend Marie Droz, both 24-years-old, who came to India on September 30, were assaulted by a group of five youths at Agra’s Fatehpur Sikri, leaving them battered and bruised. The police said all the five assailants have been identified.
The couple from lausanne in Switzerland was chased and attacked with stones and sticks by the group in the tourist town that is about 40 km from Agra, according to media accounts of the incident.
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“The Embassy of Switzerland in New Delhi confirms that two Swiss citizens were attacked in India,” the Embassy said in a statement, adding, “In the framework of consular protection services, the Embassy is providing support to them. For reasons of privacy and data protection, the Embassy cannot communicate any further information in this regard.”
Adityanath, who was in Agra to visit Taj Mahal in an apparent damage control exercise following the controversy over its place in Indian heritage set off by BJP leaders, said two attackers have been apprehended. “Two attackers have been apprehended, and strict action will be taken against those (other people) involved in the attack,” he told reporters in Agra.
“We have given instructions to police to strictly deal with such people. Our Government will not accept such incidents,” he added.
Union Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons said he was “deeply concerned” over the attack. “A fast and speedy response in identifying and ensuring speedy action, including conviction of the guilty, would be reassuring, as also a good message of our efforts to prevent recurrence of such incidents,” the Minister wrote to the UP Chief Minister.
Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, who held the tourism portfolio before the recent reshuffle and who played a significant role in organising the ‘Paryatan Parv’, also said the incident was a matter of shame for the country.
The incident came to light a day after the conclusion of the ‘Paryatan Parv’, India’s biggest tourism festival which is aimed at increasing the tourist footfall in the country.
“As the couple did not lodge any FIR, police suo motu lodged an NCR (non-cognisable report) in the matter,” Chandra Prakash said, adding that after medical report found a fracture in a arm of one of the tourists, relevant sections of the IPC were included in the FIR.
The Congress slammed the Uttar Pradesh Government, saying the alleged attack on the Swiss couple unmasks the “ugly face” of anti-Romeo squads allegedly patronised by the State Government, it said, and charged Adityanath with bringing “achchhe din” for criminals while Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said, “Since BJP Government came in the State there has been an unprecedented rise in cases of crime and loot.”