India asks Australia to withdraw travel advisory

Perth, Oct 26: Taking serious note of the travel advisories against it, India today raised the issue with Australia, asking it to withdraw issuance of such notices which have "disproportionate" language and were contrary to the current tourist trend.

Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna, who is here to attend the CHOGM Foreign Ministers Meeting, held talks with his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd and raised the issue in detail, official sources said.

Krishna asked Rudd to withdraw issuance of travel advisory for tourists travelling to India.

"The language in these advisory is rather disproportionate and contrary to the current trend of tourism to India," he told Rudd.

Responding to Krishna, Rudd said such advisories were "routine" advice and "we do not have any information of any specific threat to share with India."

According to official sources, Krishna is also expected to raise the issue with his other counterparts including Canada and New Zealand.

In the wake of many countries, including US and Australia, issuing travel advisories to their citizens, New Delhi has taken a serious note of the issue, maintaining such notices do not reflect the reality and have adverse affect on the tourism to the country.

PTI