Victoria 'failing' to protect Indian students

VICTORIA has a problem with racist violence against Indian students and the Brumby government is in denial on the seriousness of the issue.

VICTORIA has a problem with racist violence against Indian students and the Brumby government is in denial on the seriousness of the issue, Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu last night told a meeting of Indian and Australian business leaders.

In a speech to the Australian Indian Business Council, Mr Baillieu said Premier John Brumby had found himself at the centre of "international condemnation" over his failure to address increasing levels of violence against Indian students and he needed to recognise it as a serious problem.

He said the government needed to stop blaming the Indian media and the victims, and recognise that there was a "minority of individuals" whose racist behaviour was creating fear and terror among the Indian community.

"We have a law and order problem with record levels of violence and we have a problem with racist behaviour and racial violence," Mr Baillieu said.

"Violence in our community is now affecting all of us.

"It has also spread to groups in the community such as international and in particular Indian students who are the target of both random, violent attacks and racial attacks."

Mr Baillieu's speech comes days after Victorian Police Commissioner Simon Overland caused outrage by suggesting to Indian students that they "act poor" and avoid living in high-risk poorer areas if they wanted to minimise their chances of being assaulted.

The comments, which Mr Overland says were taken out of context, echoed a travel warning issued by the Indian government last month after 21-year-old accounting graduate Nitin Garg was stabbed to death in Melbourne's western suburbs on his way to work.

Mr Baillieu told last night's dinner - that belatedly commemorated Australia Day and India's Republic Day, which share the same date - that there were some people who said the attacks against Indian students were not racist but he did not accept this explanation.

Mr Baillieu also took a swipe at the way the Brumby government had handled the issue, saying it had its head in the sand.

"The government continues to tell us that there is no serious violence problem, there is no crime problem, there is no particular targeting of Indians beyond normal statistical population expectations and Indian victims are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

"I do not accept any of this."

Mr Baillieu said he would put police on the streets and strengthen sentencing provisions if elected premier at the state election in November.