Attacks on Africans ‘not tolerable’: President Mukherjee

New Delhi: Expressing “deep” concern over attacks on African nationals here, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said it is “not tolerable” as India’s relationship with African countries is close, and always we considered.

Speaking at a function here President Mukherjee said it is not tolerable, and wondered why Africans are feeling unsafe in India.

“Mahatma Gandhi made his experiment of ‘Satyagraha’ on the soils of Africa; he transformed our country. Therefore, how can we tolerate this? How can we even comprehend it? Should Africans not feel safe in India,” asked the President.

Appreciating the government’s action on the issue expressing satisfaction over the prompt action, President Mukherjee said: “I’m happy that the Government of India took prompt actions; I appreciate initiatives taken by the Sushma in consultation with Home Ministry and others.”

Earlier, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Monday dubbed the recent attacks on African nationals of South Delhi as ‘unfortunate’.

Rijiju said the government will try its best to avoid such episodes in the future.

“After what has happened with the African students in Delhi, we are holding regular meetings to come up with ways to sensitize the local populace,” Rijiju said.

“Arrests have already been made and the foreign ministry is also looking into the matter along with us. I also had a meeting with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the same,” he added.

A week after the killing of a Congolese man in the national capital that stirred a diplomatic row and instigated violence against Indians in Congo, four attacks on African nationals by the residents in Chattarpur were reported on Friday.

Five people were arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with the four attack incidents on the African nationals on Sunday. The African nationals had sustained minor injuries in the attack that took place in South Delhi’s Mehrauli area on Friday.

The accused have been arrested are identified as- Babu (32), Kunal (20), Om Prakash (24), Rahul alias Rocky (24) and Ajay (25). The police are carrying out search operations to nab the other accused persons. On Sunday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to Rajnath Singh and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung about the attacks and said she was assured that the culprits would soon be arrested.

“They assured me that the culprits will be arrested soon and sensitisation campaign will be launched in areas where African nationals reside,” she tweeted. (ANI)