A taxi driver was assaulted allegedly by six Africans after an argument in south Delhi's Mehrauli
Highlights
- Foreign Minister to meet African students in Delhi on Tuesday
- African nations wrote letter saying problem of racism must be dealt with
- There has been a spate of attacks on citizens of African nations
An Ola cab driver was beaten up in Delhi on Monday by a group of Africans after he refused to take on board more than four. The incident comes in the middle of growing tension over attacks on Africans, which has led to President Pranab Mukherjea asserting that the relationship with Africa "can't be jeopardised."
Here are 10 developments in the story:
The Ola taxi driver suffered cuts and bruises near his left eye in the attack in Mehrauli in south Delhi, an area that has a large number of African residents. "Six of them sat forcibly in the car and when I objected, they thrashed me. They also stole Rs 10,000," said the driver, Nuruddin.
In the past few days, it is attacks on Africans that have exercised the government and led to diplomatic tension. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj will meet African students tomorrow as part of the government's outreach after the lynching of a Congo man and the alleged assault last week on six students from African nations.
A senior foreign ministry official this morning met family members of Masonda Ketada Olivier from Congo, who was beaten to death in South Delhi by three men on May 20 after an argument over an auto-rickshaw. The family came to take his body back home.
The government has ordered sensitization drives and more patrolling after six more Africans were allegedly attacked on Thursday in separate attacks. Five people have been arrested for the attacks.
Ms Swaraj's deputy VK Singh, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has, however, said that the media is blowing up "a minor scuffle as an attack".
"Why is media doing this? As responsible citizens let us question them and their motives," Mr Singh said in tweets after visiting the areas where the attacks took place.
Two women, one from Uganda and the other from South Africa, and at least two Nigerian men have alleged that they were targeted in the attacks.
Among those allegedly attacked is Pierre from Cameroon, who said: "I spent one and a half weeks in the hospital. They hit me on the head and the foot. More than 10 Indians attacked me for nothing."
Ms Swaraj said she had spoken the Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor for strict action. Rajnath Singh has ordered greater patrolling in areas where there are more African students.
African nations had said in a strong letter last week that India must solve the problem of "racism and Afro-phobia" and several attacks have gone unresolved "without diligent prosecution".
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