India on Saturday reacted strongly to the US authorities tying trackers on Indian students duped by a California-based “sham” university, terming it “unwarranted” and demanding their removal. The government also said it was “seriously concerned” abo-ut the impact of the US federal action against Tri Valley University in California on the Indian students.
India asked the US to take a “lenient” view of the students allegedly duped by the university amid reports that they were forced to wear radio collars around their ankles so that American authorities can track their movements.
“We have conveyed to the US authorities that the students, most of whom are victims, must be treated fairly and reasonably and that the use of monitors on a group of students, who were detained and later released with monitors in accordance with US laws, is unwarranted and should be removed,” an MEA statement said. The MEA called US embassy deputy chief Donald Lu and told him the students should be treated well and given adequate opportunity to clarify. A majority of the Indians had transferred from other US universities. Approximately 100 students had obtained visas from the US mission in India and a number of students in the US, as dependants of their spouses, had enrolled after taking the required authorisation, it said.