Opposition leader slams Victoria govt for attacks on Indians

MELBOURNE: An Australian opposition leader has criticized the Victoria government for failing to tackle the racist attacks on Indians in the state.

"Victoria has a serious and increasing problem with racist attacks on Indian students, but the state government is in denial and blaming the victims. Many of the assaults were the result of 'racist violence' but Premier John Brumby had failed to confront the issue," leader of opposition Ted Baillieu said here.

He condemned the advice of Victoria police chief Simon Overland to Indians to "look like poor" to avoid attacks.

Baillieu, who was addressing a gathering of Australian and Indian business leaders, alleged that the problem of racial violence was allowed to escalate with government providing excuses that brought international condemnation.

"... this government's continued attempt to blame the victim by suggesting he or she had brought it upon themselves through their conduct or the provocative carrying of iPods, computers and other such nonsense," he said.

"There were some who say these were not racial attacks. To those let me say this, those assaults they were racially abused," he said.

Reacting to his comments, State Premier spokesperson said Baillieu should know better than to use divisive and inflammatory comments that he knows are not true. "Baillieu's deceptive treatment of this issue makes things worse not better," Fiona Macrae was quoted as saying in the media.

–PTI