Indians not targeted in Kenya: MEA

Those who want to leave Kenya will be airlifted from Nairobi to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, before sending them to India, sources said.

“The Hindu Council has reiterated that there has been no loss of life or injury to any Asian in Kenya. They have specifically mentioned that reports appearing in the Indian media about Gujaratis being targeted or an Asian being killed are untrue,” the Ministry said.

The issue had assumed a political tone with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi writing two letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding the Centre’s intervention in the ongoing unrest in Kenya and save the lives and property of people of Indian origin. “The state Government has information that people of Gujarati origin have suffered heavy losses to their property due to the violence. The state Government has so far not received information of deaths of any non-resident Indians in Kenya,” Modi had stated in his second letter to the Prime Minister.

Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan also called upon the Government “to take steps to protect the lives of the people of Indian origin in Kenya.” Even as the Government is monitoring the situation in Kenya which is home to about 75,000 Indians and the High Commission in Nairobi is in touch with the community groups, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said: “There is no report of any person of Indian origin being targeted in the violence.”

The spokesperson, however, said that some cases of looting of shops and commercial establishments have been reported. The Indian High Commission is in contact with the Indian community leaders, including those in other cities like Mombassa, the spokesperson said. He pointed out that the violence was not targeted against Asians or Indians and was a result of the internal situation in Kenya.