(Image courtesy: Mail Today)
Australia is upset with a cartoon published in an Indian newspaper that shows a person in a in a Ku Klux Klan hood wearing a Victoria Police badge. Mocking recent remarks by Australian officials that say attacks against Indians are not racist, but typical "urban crimes", the caption for the cartoon says : "We are yet to ascertain the nature of the crime."
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said Mail Today's cartoon and its Ku Klux Klan reference are unacceptable and "deeply offensive." She added that the police is working hard to keep Indian students safe.
Over the weekend, a 21-year-old Indian student in Melbourne was murdered at night on his way to his part-time job at a fast-food restaurant.
Since then, tension between India and Australia has escalated. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has repeatedly emphasized that Australia is not able to protect Indian students. Different members of the Australian government retaliated by saying that attacks take place in all major cities in the world, including Mumbai.