'Attacks on Indians opportunistic urban crimes'

“I do not deny that there could be a racist element in the motives of some of the attacks. But a great majority of these cases are opportunistic urban crimes,” Australian High Commissioner in India Peter Varghese told reporters here.

A day after New Delhi issued an advisory to Indian students in Australia, Canberra assigned its Indian-origin High Commissioner in India to do the damage-control exercise. He regretted Garg’s death, but added that one should wait for the police investigation to complete before concluding that the crime was racially motivated.

He said the Australian government was committed to ensuring the safety and security of Indian students in that country and to bring to book the murderer of Garg and the perpetrators of other criminal attacks on Indians. “But it (the number of crimes against Indians) cannot be brought down to zero, because doing it would mean abolition of crimes in Australia, and I do not think it is a realistic target,” said Varghese.

Badal meets envoy
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday met Varghese and sought immediate steps to ensure the safety of Punjabi students and immigrants in Australia.