Attacks on Indians may rock ties with Aus: Krishna

Asserting that the Australian government is 'duty bound' to probe the fatal stabbing of a youth of Indian origin at Melbourne and bring the culprits to book, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Monday said such incidents would vitiate the atmosphere of trust and cordiality between the two countries.

"Unfortunate incidents like the Indian student killing (in Melbourne) case will only vitiate the atmosphere of trust, the atmosphere of belief, the atmosphere of cordiality of the relationship," he told media persons after paying a "courtesy" visit to Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj.

Krishna said whether it was a racist attack or motivated by something else "the fact of the matter is that an Indian student has been murdered and the Australian government is duty bound and morally bound to go for investigations and then bring the culprit to book".

"That is the least the Australian government can do and that is what we expect," he said while replying to a question on the Australian police claim that it was not a racist attack.

Asked whether the incident would have a bearing on Indo-Australian ties, he said the bilateral relationship has so far been very strong and alluded to three high-level visits by the Australian political leadership to India and his own visit to that country last year.

"These are all high-level visits meant to strengthen bilateral relationship between India and Australia," he said.

On the follow-up action with the Australian government regarding the attack on 21-year-old Nitin Garg, Krishna said he had on Monday morning spoken to the Indian High Commissioner in Canberra, who has taken up the issue with the Australian government "in the strongest possible terms".

"I have also asked her to convey the Indian government's deep concern over the incident involving an Indian student," he said.

Garg was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in Melbourne, becoming the first victim to succumb to injuries amid a string of racial attacks on the community members in Australia.