It can have negative impact on India's image, Alphons writes to Adityanath

New Delhi: The attack on a Swiss couple at Fatehpur Sikri could have a negative impact on the image of the country, Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons said in a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday.

The incident, which took place on Sunday, came to light a day after the conclusion of the 'Paryatan Parv', India's biggest tourism festival which aimed at increasing the tourist footfall in the country.

"You would kindly appreciate that such incidents negatively impact our image and are detrimental to our efforts in promoting India as a tourism destination," Alphons wrote in his letter to Adityanath.

Quentin Jeremy Clerc (24) and his girlfriend Marie Droz (24), who came to India on September 30, were allegedly attacked by a group of men near the railway station at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh. The Swiss nationals were reportedly left bloodied and bruised by the attackers.

In his letter to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Alphons said he was "deeply concerned" over the attacks.

"A fast and speedy response in identifying and ensuring speedy action, including conviction of the guilty, would be reassuring, as also a good message of our efforts to prevent recurrence of such incidents," the minister wrote.

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, who held the tourism portfolio before the recent reshuffle and who played a significant role in organising the 'Paryatan Parv', also said the incident was a matter of shame for the country.

"I think the foreign minister has reacted to it. It is a matter of law-and-order, but as the culture minister and a human being, I condemn the attack on the foreign tourists. It is unfortunate and should not have happened. It is a matter of shame for us," he said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought information from the Uttar Pradesh government on the incident.

Meanwhile, the Swiss couple is on the way to recovery, the doctors at the hospital where they were admitted have said. While Clerc has been shifted to a cabin from the ICU, Droz, who has a fractured arm, has been discharged after treatment.

According to the National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB), crimes against foreign tourists had reduced by 29.4 per cent in 2015 as against the previous year.

In 2014, 384 of such cases were reported from across the country, the NCRB said, adding that the number came down to 271 in 2015.

These findings are part of the first analytical report of the NCRB on crimes against foreign tourists. The bureau has been profiling such crimes since 2014.

New Delhi: Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma on Thursday condemned the attack on a young Swiss couple by a group of youths in Fatehpur Sikri and said it was a matter of shame for Indians.

The minister said it was unfortunate that such an incident had happened in the country.

"I think the foreign minister has reacted to it. It's a matter of law and order but as the culture minister and as a human being I condemn the attack on the foreign tourists. It's unfortunate, should not have happened. It's a matter of shame for us," Sharma said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought information from the Uttar Pradesh government on the incident that took place on Sunday.

According to reports, Quentin Jeremy Clerc, 24, and his girlfriend Marie Droz, also 24, from Lausanne were chased and attacked with stones and sticks by a group of youths in Fatehpur Sikri.

The couple was strolling near the railway station in Fatehpur Sikri -- a city founded by Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century and a major tourist attraction -- after a day in Agra when the group started following them.

The two were found on the ground, bloodied and bruised even as bystanders made videos of their plight.

According to the National Crimes Records Bureau, crimes against foreign tourists visiting India have reduced by 29.4 per cent.

In 2014, there were 384 cases of crimes against foreign tourists reported from across the country. This came down to 271 in 2015.

These findings are part of the first analytical report on crimes against foreign tourists furnished by the tourism ministry in the backdrop of a global outcry over attacks on tourists in India. NCRB started profiling crimes against foreign tourists in 2014.

New Delhi: The young Swiss couple, who was allegedly attacked in Agra's Fatehpur Sikri by a group of youths on Sunday, is on the way to recovery, doctors at the hospital where they are undergoing treatment said.

Quentin Jeremy Clerc, 24, who came to India on September 30 with his female friend Marie Droz, also 24, was quoted as saying in a news report that they were strolling near the railway station at the Fatehpur Sikri after a day in Agra when a group started following them and later attacked them. Dr Rajendra Prasad, neurosurgeon at Apollo Hospital, where the couple was admitted, said Clerc has been shifted to a room from the ICU. The doctor said that Droz has a fracture in the arm but has been discharged after treatment.

"We have moved him out of the ICU into a room. He is having a hearing problem otherwise he is conscious and talking," said Prasad.

The doctor informed that it is difficult to say at the moment whether the hearing problem will be a permanent one.

"He's improving but we will have to see in the long term," said the doctor.