The Congress on Tuesday trained its guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned his silence over accelerating attacks on African nationals across the nation.
Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "It is unacceptable, it is shameful. The government ought to have intervened when the first attacks took place but the situation has been allowed to deteriorate to an extent where mob lynching is taking place."
"President Pranab Mukherjee has spoken, Vice-President Hamid Ansari has spoken but the Prime Minister is silent. His silence is embarrassing now. He is the head of the leaders, the elected executive. He must speak and his government must ensure the safety of students from Africa," he added.
Sharma further added that India and Africa historically have a very special relationship.
"This is a land of Gandhi and Nehru who spoke of Afro-Indian solidarity. Therefore, such things happening in India, in the nation's capital is disturbing, it has effected India's image globally," Sharma said.
Meanwhile, condemning the killing of a Congo student (Oliver) as "heinous" and "unacceptable", External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier today said it was "not a racial attack".
Swaraj held a meeting with African students and officials.
Over a dozen African nationals were attacked in Rajpkhurd village of Chhatarpur, South Delhi on Wednesday night.
It is learnt locals objected to the "free lifestyle" of these men and women who stayed in the area.
There were four attacks within a span of an hour, sources said, which hint the attacks may have been organised and pre-planned.
Four men and two women have been injured in the attacks and are admitted in hpsital. The Delhi Police on Friday registered four FIRs in the case.
All four complainants, in their 30s, have been residing in Delhi for past few years, police said.
