BJP seeks PM's response on killing of Indian student

Accusing the government of not taking effective action over killing of an Indian student in Australia, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sought a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Accusing the government of not taking effective action over killing of an Indian student in Australia, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sought a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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"The prime minister should tell the nation how many more Indians will be killed or injured before the government is really stirred into effective action," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said in New Delhi.

Describing External Affairs Minister SM Krishna's response to the development as "pro forma", he said the prime minister should tell the nation about the government's stand.

Prasad said the government had several options including use of "coercive diplomacy" and it should act suitably.

"It is the duty of the government to protect the life of every citizen," he said.

An Indian youth was on Sunday stabbed to death in Australia in the first fatal case in a series of racial attacks on the community in the country.