DUPED INDIAN STUDENTS IN U.S. INHUMANLY TREATED, SAYS INDIA MINISTER

NATURAL WITH ENGLISH SPEECH

DURATION: 1.25

SOURCE: ANI

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS: NO ACCESS BBC

Duped Indian students in U.S. inhumanly treated, says India minister.

India's Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi criticizes U.S. authorities for their inhuman treatment to duped Indian students over fraud visa row.

SHOWS:

NEW DELHI, INDIA (JANUARY 30, 2011) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. VAYALAR RAVI, INDIA'S OVERSEAS AFFAIRS MINISTER, ARRIVING

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VAYALAR RAVI, INDIA'S OVERSEAS AFFAIRS MINISTER, SAYING: "What I told the Ambassador as well as the Consul General, please let me know if there are agents involved in Andhra Pradesh, then I can ask the Chief Minister to prosecute them, but to get that report- how many agents are involved, any agents are involved, then only I can proceed against them here."

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VAYALAR RAVI, INDIA'S OVERSEAS AFFAIRS MINISTER, SAYING: "Most inhuman and unacceptable is putting that black, what is that? The radio thing (radio tags). It is like a lock in the leg. It is criminal way of doing things. They are not criminals. First of all American authorities have been wrong, they seized the passport. Without a passport, American system I know, nobody can leave the country without showing the passport. Visa is there in the passport. After seizing the passport, this kind of humiliating chain, this kind of, it is very heavy."

4. RAVI LEAVING

STORY: India's Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi criticized the U.S. authorities in New Delhi on Sunday (January 30) for their inhuman treatment to duped Indian students involved in the fraud visa row and assured of a probe into the matter.

Ravi said he is in constant touch with S.M. Krishna, the foreign affairs minister of India over the issue and also is in touch with Indian Mission in Washington.

He added that strict action will be taken if agents in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh are found guilty in issuing fraud Visas. But action can be taken only when report will be put on table, he said.

"What I told the Ambassador as well as the Consul General, please let me know if there are agents involved in Andhra Pradesh, then I can ask the Chief Minister to prosecute them, but to get that report- how many agents are involved, any agents are involved, then only I can proceed against them here," said Ravi.

Ravi also termed radio tagging of Indian students for electronic surveillance by U.S. immigration authorities as wrong, unacceptable and inhuman.

He said confiscation of passports of the students was not necessary.

"Most inhuman and unacceptable is putting that black, what is that? The radio thing (radio tags). It is like a lock in the leg. It is criminal way of doing things. They are not criminals. First of all American authorities have been wrong, they seized the passport. Without a passport, American system I know, nobody can leave the country without showing the passport. Visa is there in the passport. After seizing the passport, this kind of humiliating chain, this kind of, it is very heavy," added Ravi.

Recently, a complaint was filed against Tri-Valley University of California, alleging that it helped foreign nationals illegally acquire immigration status.

Following this petition, the university was shut down.

Investigation authorities in the United States found that the sham university was charging millions of rupees from students for getting them visas and student work permits in the country.