National Akali Dal to oppose visit of Australian delegations

New Delhi, Jan.17 (ANI): President of National Akali Dal party Paramjit Singh Pamma on Sunday said his party would oppose the visit of any Australian delegation to India if attacks on its national Down Under did not end.

Paramjit Singh Pamma, president of India's regional National Akali Dal party, says they would oppose the visit of any Australian delegation to India if attacks on its national down under, do not come to an end.

Raising slogans against the Australian authorities, National Akali Dal activists burnt a picture of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Condemning the unabated attacks on Indians especially on Sikhs, the activists, led by party president Paramjit Singh Pamma, marched towards the Australian Embassy in Delhi. However, the police stopped them midway.

Activists demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should talk to the Australian authorities to put an end to such incidents.

"We will continue with our protest if anyone attacks any religious sites or Indians anywhere. The National Akali Dal will not keep quiet. With all due respect to Manmohan Singh, we ask him to hold talks with the Australian government to put an end to all these attacks and if it does not then we would prevent any Australian official or minister, from visiting India," said Singh.

In the latest incident, a cab driver was attacked in the early hours of Friday (January 15) by a group of passengers, who, as per the police reports, were drunk.

The perpetrators were later arrested by the Australian police.

Earlier this week, a gurdwara (Sikh temple), under construction in the southeastern suburb of Melbourne, was damaged in an overnight fire.

A 29-year-old Indian, Jaspreet Singh, was attacked and set alight while he was parking his car in Melbourne on January 09.

Earlier, an Indian student was stabbed to death.

Attacks against Indian students in 2009, mainly in the city of Melbourne prompted Julia Gillard, Australian Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Education and Social Inclusion, and other members of the Australian cabinet to visit India and give the assurance that steps were being taken to stop the attacks. (ANI)