Netherlands denies racial profiling

New Delhi, Aug 26 (UNI) The Netherlands today said the 12 Indians on board the North West airlines were detained for suspicious behaviour that required urgent preventive action, and assured India that the government did not undertake any racial profiling.

''The apparently suspicious behaviour of the 12 Indian passengers required urgent preventive action. As soon as the investigations were completed within one-and-a-half days, the passengers were not only released from detention, but the Dutch Authorities facilitated their earliest possible return to India,'' the Dutch Ambassador E F C H Neihe conveyed to the Secretary (West) Shashi Tripathi after India lodged a strong protest for the ''inhuman treatment'' of the Indian passengers.

Reiterating the close and friendly relations between the two countries, Mr Neihe said, ''The Dutch Authorities do not undertake any racial profiling.'' The Dutch Ambassador called on the Secretary (West) to deliver the response of his government to the demarche made by Mr Tripathi to him yesterday regarding the incident.

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