New Delhi: The Netherlands Ambassador to India Eric F Niehe was summoned on Friday by External Affairs Ministry over detention of 12 Indians in Amsterdam for alleged suspicious behaviour in a Mumbai-bound flight.
"Our (Indian government's) views have been conveyed at the highest level to the Dutch government. Our External Affairs Ministry officials have been in touch with the Dutch government at the highest level. Our Ambassador (in The Hague) was also in touch with them. Our officials here summoned the Dutch Ambassador here," External Affairs Minister Anand Sharma said.
Secretary West (MEA) Mrs Shashi U Tripathi met Niehe at South Block and told him that India had taken the detention of the Indian passengers very seriously.
The Government has also asked for a detailed report on the incident from the Indian Ambassador in The Hague and once that came the entire issue would be analysed.
Niehe expressed regret over the incident but added that the Government of the Netherlands had nothing to do with the detention. He said the passengers were detained because of unruly behaviour and were released after interrogations.
He also said that it was not a case of racial discrimination.
The 12 freed Indians have already left for home and would be in Mumbai by Friday night.
Rejecting criticism of the government's handling of the issue, Sharma said the moment it came to know about the detention of 12 Indians, the official machinery worked fast and got them out of detention in 30 hours.
He also said that consular access was provided to the Indians much ahead of the 48 hours stipulated in the Vienna Convention in such a situation.
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