Australian PM urges calm amid attacks against Indian students

"I fully support hardline measures in response to any act of violence towards any student anywhere -- Indian or otherwise," Rudd told a local commercial radio.

"And furthermore we also need to render as completely unacceptable people taking the law into their own hands.

"Everyone needs just to draw some breath on this and we need to see a greater atmosphere of general calm," Rudd said.

The attacks have caused outrage in India and strained diplomatic ties between Canberra and New Delhi.

SM Krisha, India's foreign minister, made a similar plea.

"I would like our Indian students to be patient ... restrained. They have gone there to pursue higher studies, they should concentrate on that," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Rudd made his appeal after Indian students formed vigilante-like groups at train and bus stations in Melbourne following a string of attacks in the city over the past 18 months which Australian authorities insist have been crime-related.

Indian students believe the attacks have been "racist", warning of a culture of "curry bashings" in Australia, where foreign students are the country's third biggest export earner, worth more than $12 billion.

The series of attacks has prompted a political response, with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh telling parliament in New Delhi yesterday that he would press Australia to provide security for Indian students.

“I spoke to Prime Minister Rudd, who assured me that any racist attacks on Indian students will be strongly dealt with,” Singh told parliament. “He said it is unacceptable and emphasized that Australia is a multiracial society which respects diversity. India and Australia have had good relations and it has been our effort to deepen our ties.”