Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has publicly demanded that a senator apologise for remarks targeting the Indian community, remarks that have sparked widespread concern over rising anti-Indian sentiment in the country. Albanese made the call on Tuesday, addressing comments by Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, a senator from the centre-right Liberal Party, who suggested that the number of Indian migrants arriving in Australia had reached an unsustainable level.
Price made the controversial statements during a radio interview last week, linking Indian migration to voting patterns and implying that large numbers of Indians had been allowed to migrate to support Albanese’s centre-left Labor Party. “There is a concern with the Indian community, and only because there have been large numbers. And we can see that reflected in the way the community votes for Labor at the same time,” Price said. Her remarks followed nationwide anti-immigrant protests that, in part, blamed Indian migrants for contributing to rising cost-of-living pressures in the country.
The comments have generated anger within the Australian-Indian community, prompting calls for an apology, including from Price’s own party colleagues. Albanese highlighted the impact of the remarks, stating that “people in the Indian community are hurting” and underlining that the senator’s claims were untrue. He added that she “should apologise for the hurt that has been caused,” noting that even her own parliamentary colleagues have expressed the same view.
Statistics from the Australian government indicate that the Indian-born population in Australia reached 845,800 in 2023, more than doubling over the previous decade. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of Australians claim some form of Indian ancestry, underscoring the community’s long-standing presence and contribution to the country.
The state government of New South Wales convened a meeting of community groups on Tuesday to address concerns about the increasing anti-Indian sentiment. NSW Premier Chris Minns condemned divisive rhetoric, stating, “Today we stand together with the Australian-Indian community to say unambiguously that the sort of racist rhetoric and divisive false claims we have seen over the last couple of weeks have no place in our state or country.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed last week that it was engaging with Canberra regarding the rise in anti-Indian sentiment following the protests, highlighting the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue. The developments have sparked national debate about inclusivity, the treatment of minority communities, and the responsibilities of public officials in maintaining social harmony in Australia.
