Australia furious over Indian KKK cartoon condemning police
The Australian government has condemned an Indian newspaper cartoon likening its police to the Ku Klux Klan over their investigations into the murder of a young Indian man.
New Delhi's Mail Today ran the cartoon showing a figure with an Australian police badge wearing a pointed white hood, following the murder of 21-year-old Indian national Nitin Garg in Melbourne last weekend.
"Any suggestion of that kind is deeply, deeply offensive to the police officers involved and I would absolutely condemn the making of a comment like that," said Julia Gillard, the deputy prime minister.
The murder of the accounting graduate has ignited tensions between India and Australia that have been simmering for the last 18 months following a series of attacks in Victoria state against Indians.
Indian media have accused Australian police of not doing enough to protect foreign students, who have fuelled a lucrative overseas education industry, and of failing to acknowledge the racist motives of the attackers.
The editor of the Mail Today defended the decision to publish the cartoon.
"We perceive the Melbourne police to be a racist organisation simply because it seems it is not acting fast enough, or seriously enough, on the attacks on Indian students," said Bharat Bhushan, its editor, in a statement emailed to the AFP news agency.
The cartoon "reflects the widespread feeling in India", he added.
But Australian authorities have insisted there are no indications as yet that Mr Garg, who was stabbed in the stomach as he walked to work at a fast-food restaurant late on Jan 2, was the victim of a race-hate crime.
The cartoon, in which the hooded police figure is saying "We are yet to ascertain the nature of the crime", was also condemned by the Victoria police minister, Bob Cameron.
"Victoria Police is a very tolerant organisation and Victoria is a very tolerant state and to suggest that Victoria Police is racist is just plain wrong," he said.
The police union representing the state's officers said the drawing was based on nothing but "a slow news day in Delhi".
The Australian government has condemned an Indian newspaper cartoon likening its police to the Ku Klux Klan over their investigations into the murder of a young Indian man.
New Delhi's Mail Today ran the cartoon showing a figure with an Australian police badge wearing a pointed white hood, following the murder of 21-year-old Indian national Nitin Garg in Melbourne last weekend.
"Any suggestion of that kind is deeply, deeply offensive to the police officers involved and I would absolutely condemn the making of a comment like that," said Julia Gillard, the deputy prime minister.
India issues Australia travel warning after murders
India condemns student's stabbing in Australia
The murder of the accounting graduate has ignited tensions between India and Australia that have been simmering for the last 18 months following a series of attacks in Victoria state against Indians.
Indian media have accused Australian police of not doing enough to protect foreign students, who have fuelled a lucrative overseas education industry, and of failing to acknowledge the racist motives of the attackers.
The editor of the Mail Today defended the decision to publish the cartoon.
"We perceive the Melbourne police to be a racist organisation simply because it seems it is not acting fast enough, or seriously enough, on the attacks on Indian students," said Bharat Bhushan, its editor, in a statement emailed to the AFP news agency.
The cartoon "reflects the widespread feeling in India", he added.
But Australian authorities have insisted there are no indications as yet that Mr Garg, who was stabbed in the stomach as he walked to work at a fast-food restaurant late on Jan 2, was the victim of a race-hate crime.
The cartoon, in which the hooded police figure is saying "We are yet to ascertain the nature of the crime", was also condemned by the Victoria police minister, Bob Cameron.
"Victoria Police is a very tolerant organisation and Victoria is a very tolerant state and to suggest that Victoria Police is racist is just plain wrong," he said.
The police union representing the state's officers said the drawing was based on nothing but "a slow news day in Delhi".