Racial attack issue taken up with Australian govt: Preneet

Patiala, June 6 (PTI) With racial attacks against Indian
students continuing in Australia, India's Union Minister of
State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur Saturday assured their
parents back home that the Centre has strongly taken up the
issue at various levels with the Australian Government.

Addressing a news conference after arriving here Saturday
evening on her first visit after assuming office, she said
while the Prime Minster Manmohan Singh has taken up the issue
with his Australian Premier Kevin Rudd, External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna and Union Home Minster P Chidambaram have
also taken it up with their Australian counterparts.

"We have been told by them that the state government of
Victoria has taken a number of steps to ensure that these
attacks do not take place again," Kaur said.

She said she was particularly concerned as over 5,000
children have gone from her constituency (Patiala) alone to
pursue their studies in Australia.

The External Affairs Ministry has also conveyed its
anxiety over the ongoing attacks to the Australian High
Commissioner John McCarthy, She said, adding that the Ministry
has sought assurance from the Australian authorities about the
safety of Indian students in their country.

On the latest dossier of evidence handed over to Pakistan
on the Mumbai terror attacks, She said, "India has given
further evidence on the perpetrators of the carnage and now it
is their (Pakistan's) duty to perform." PTI