India promises action, decries Greater Noida attacks

New Delhi: India on Thursday refused to categorise recent attacks on Africans in Greater Noida as racial, and said it was not correct to draw a conclusion on “the nature and the reason” of these acts till investigations were over.

Nigeria is reported to have called the Indian envoy in Abuja to register its protest over the attacks and sought “diligent prosecution” against the perpetrators.

On Monday, four Nigerian students were beaten up by a group of residents following the death of a local teenager from a suspected drug overdose. Violence escalated the next day when two Nigerian brothers were attacked by a mob inside a shopping mall.

India said the Nigerian foreign ministry had “discussions” with its envoy on the attacks. India said it assured Nigeria that steps were being taken to ensure the safety and security of Africans.

The issue also echoed in Parliament with the entire Rajya Sabha condemning the attacks in one voice.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said the UP government was conducting an independent probe and action would be taken. “The moment I got information about the attacks on Nigerian students, I immediately sought a report from the UP government. CM Yogi Adityanath has promised an impartial probe,” she said.

Meanwhile, India’s foreign ministry indicated on Thursday that Kenyan diplomats have said that the Kenyan woman, who was allegedly attacked by locals in UP’s Greater Noida on Wednesday, was not attacked, but the ministry did not say what exactly had happened in the case.

The Noida police also reportedly claimed that the woman’s complaint was found to be false. According to news agencies, a Kenyan Embassy official also said the woman was tense due to family problems and had fabricated the assault story.

The woman, identified by the police as Maria Burendi, had alleged that she was dragged out of a cab, slapped and punched in the abdomen without any provocation by a group of locals.