Attacks on temples: India, Australia to exchange info on separatists

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, May 24

The governments of India and Australia will exchange information and coordinate with each other in the context of taking action against separatists and vandals, who defaced several temples in Melbourne and Brisbane, some of them repeatedly.

Timely intervention must

The departments concerned of the two countries will remain in touch so that they can closely coordinate whenever information about such a thing (vandalism) arises and needs to be exchanged with the other side so that timely action can be taken.

Vinay Mohan Kwatra, foreign secretary

“The departments concerned of the two countries will remain in touch so that they can closely coordinate whenever information about such a thing (vandalism) arises and needs to be exchanged with the other side so that timely action can be taken,” said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra when asked about concrete action being taken in this respect and whether or not someone had been arrested.

Briefing the media after the Modi-Albanese bilateral meeting on Wednesday, Kwatra did not give the number of persons arrested or deported with regard to aggressive attacks on Indian cultural and political symbols such as its Honorary Consulate in Brisbane.

He instead pointed out that from the last time when the two leaders spoke on the matter to this time when PM Modi raised the subject again, “progress was clearly reflected when PM Modi thanked Albanese for the action that the Australian government has taken not just in making correct appreciation of the nature of such activities but also elements who perpetrated such attacks. “The Australian side appreciated the fact that the India-Australia ties are very strong, deep and extensive and that it will not allow these friendly ties to be disrupted by such elements,” added Kwatra.