Amid India's concerns over the treatment meted out to Mohammed Haneef, facing terror charges, Australia on Thursday said its legal proceedings are tough but the process is fair.
Australian High Commissioner to India John McCarthy insisted in TV interviews that there was "not a hint of racism" in the way Haneef was being dealt with in connection with failed terror bombings in the UK.
"The legislation under which we are proceeding may appear tough. It is tough. It is the anti-terrorism legislation," he said, adding, "But the process is fair".
Justifying the action against Haneef, he said it was "not an issue about racism, it's an issue about terrorism."
Insisting that Haneef was being "treated fairly", he said "the law under which he is treated is against terrorism."
Haneef, held on July 2 in Brisbane in connection with the UK terror plot, was released on bail by a court on Monday but Australian authorities invoked immigration laws to keep him in detention.
India has conveyed its concerns to Australia over Haneef issue and asked it to treat him "fairly and justly". Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also said yesterday that Australia should give all facilities under law to Haneef.
McCarthy also had an interesting argument on Haneef being kept in solitary confinement, saying "It gives him privacy."
The case related to Haneef was brought to Australia's notice by the UK authorities, he said, adding "we then acted upon it. We didn't have any choice. This was a person of interest to UK authorities in relation to bombings."
Allaying fears that the Haneef issue could lead to toughening of the screening process for Indians, McCarthy said, "I don't think that it is unnecessarily going to be tougher. We do not see it as leading to any sort of discrimination or tougher screening of Indian professionals."
The envoy said Indian doctors have been invaluable to the medical profession in Australia.