Radio collaring of Indian students in US ''inhuman'': BJP

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) Expressing concern over theplight of scores of Indian students radio-tagged by the USauthorities, BJP today demanded the government "pro-actively"take up the issue with that country.

"The Ministry of External Affairs will have to be moreassertive in making sure that the students are not deniedjustice in any way," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

"... we already feel that the students have been put toabsolute inhuman treatment. They are not cattle in a ranch tobe given an electronic gadget, to be collared, and to bemonitored every minute of their stay there," she said.

After being duped by California-based Tri-ValleyUniversity, scores of Indian students in the US are nowenduring the ignominy of being forced to wear radio collarsaround their ankles so that authorities can keep track oftheir movements.

The students, mostly from Andhra Pradesh, may also bedeported as authorities shut down the University on charges ofa massive immigration fraud.

Sitharaman maintained that the BJP was very concernedabout the state of affairs and the condition of Indianstudents, who for no fault of theirs, had enrolled in auniversity which apparently was registered by law in the US.

"The government of India was only giving a delayedresponse. Now again due to the media and the students ownparents, the Government of India seems to be taking stepswhich are not adequate," she said.

BJP said that the students were not at fault as they hadfollowed all legal procedures and alleged that the treatmentmeted out to them violates their "human and fundamentalrights".

"We condemn this. The US government should understandthat these students have after all gone there with their visaduly obtained. If the university is illegal, it was for themto sort the matter out," she said.

BJP demanded that the Indian government take a "far moreproactive role" to ensure that these students are absolutelysafe and not treated in a way which they are violative oftheir fundamental right.

"The government should assert its right and make surethe US government gives them access to proper judicial processand ensure that these students are given an option of wantingto further pursue or come back," Sitharaman said.

Describing the collaring of students as "degrading",Sitharaman said they were living in an "uncertain, insecureenvironment".