The Netherlands on Saturday told India that the detention of 12 Indians was undertaken as an "urgent preventive action" after they aroused suspicion mid-air and there was no racial consideration behind the act.
The Netherlands Ambassador Eric Niehe met Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry Shashi U Tripathi in New Delhi and conveyed his country's "understanding for the concerns" expressed by the Indian government regarding the incident. Niehe was summoned by Tripathi on Friday and New Delhi's "strong protest" was conveyed over the way the Dutch authorities handled the issue wherein 12 Indians were detained while they were flying back home to Mumbai on Wednesday.
He had regretted the incident but said he would get back with details about the incident from his headquarters in The Hague today. The Dutch authorities "...drew attention to the apparently suspicious behaviour of the 12 Indian passengers which appeared to require urgent preventive action," an External Affairs Ministry release said after Niehe's meeting with Tripathi earlier in the day.
The Netherlands authorities assured India that they "...do not undertake any racial profiling," the MEA said. New Delhi had on Friday said that such actions could lead to presumption about racial profiling. The Dutch ambassador conveyed that The Netherlands government completed the investigations within one-and-a-half day and passengers were released soon after, the MEA release said.
He said the Dutch authorities also facilitated their earliest possible return to India. The Netherlands government also reiterated its close and friendly relations with India. The External Affairs Ministry said the government was relieved at the release and return of all the 12 men who have since reunited with their families.
New Delhi had on Friday conveyed its strong resentment at the treatment meted out to the 12 Indians who were detained for "flight disruption" while travelling by a Northwest Airlines plane from Minneapolis in the US to Mumbai via Amsterdam on Wednesday. India had asked the Dutch government to provide full details of the incident.
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