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Former Goa Chief Minister Wants Nigerians To Be Banned From Entering India

Ban Nigerians From Entering India, Says Former Goa CM
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At a time when a spate of attacks on Africans in India have caused widespread outrage, former Goa Chief Minister Ravi Naik has come up with a bizarre suggestion.

Naik, a senior Congress leader, called for a ban by the Central government on Nigerians from entering India.

Referring to Nigerians with the pejorative "negroes", the senior Congress leader also told reporters that Nigerians have been causing "problems" in Goa and other parts of the country.

"The government of India should ban them. They should be probed. It should be checked whether they are here to study or for picnic or to sell drugs," said Naik, who has also served as the home minister in the erstwhile Congress-led coalition government in Goa.

Naik demanded that Nigerian students staying illegally and indulging in illegal activities in Goa must be screened for documents and deported immediately.

"Nigerians come here and do 'dadagriri' in Delhi, Bengaluru and the entire country. We should chase the Nigerians out of here. Have they come here to study? Are they really studying? Are they really going to college, schools? Are they really going to bogus schools or bogus typing schools, this has to be probed. It is very important," Naik said on the sidelines of a press conference.

On 20 May, a Congolese national, Masonda Ketada Oliver, was beaten to death in a brawl in Delhi's Vasant Kunj neighbourhood. A week later, at least seven people hailing from Africa were allegedly attacked in three separate incidents in Rajpur Khurd village, in Delhi's Chhatarpur neighbourhood.

Last week, the Delhi High Court expressed anguish over the recent attacks on Africans in the national capital.

"There is a let up from crime against women. Now Delhi is becoming racist. There have been attacks on African nationals. We do not know what is happening in the city," a bench of justices BD Ahmed and RK Gauba observed.

"We can only express anguish, you (government) are the executive, you will have to implement the directions given by the court," the bench further said while expressing concern that "public was taking law into their hands" and there was a need for the government to take appropriate steps.

Although there have been many reports about alleged racist remarks and attacks on Africans, the government has said all such incidents cannot be termed as racist.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.