5 held after Sushma Swaraj speaks to Rajnath Singh

Five persons were arrested on Sunday over the attacks on Africans in south Delhi after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj raised the issue with home minister Rajnath Singh. Minister of state (MoS) for external affairs V.K. Singh, meanwhile, triggered another controversy by describing the episode as a “minor scuffle” and blaming the media. He tweeted, “Had detailed discussions with the Delhi police and found that the media is blowing up a minor scuffle as an attack on African nationals in Rajpur Khurd. Why is media doing this As responsible citizens let us question them and their motives.”

Mr Singh’s comments were puzzling as both Ms Swaraj and Mr Rajnath Singh had just hours before expressed serious concern over the attacks. African students in the city had earlier decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar following which Ms Swaraj asked MoS Singh and secretary (economic affairs) Amar Sinha to meet the aggrieved students.

The government also plans to launch sensitisation campaigns to prevent such attacks amid media reports that locals have objected to African students playing loud music at night. Ms Swaraj tweeted on Sunday morning that she had “spoken to Mr Rajnath Singh and Lt. Gov. of Delhi (Najeeb Jung)...”

This isn’t the first time that Gen. Singh has landed in a controversy.