— Photos: AP

INCONSOLABLE: The mother (at right in the first picture) of Devang Rawal breaks down as the body of the youth, killed in a violent protest in Uganda on April 12, arrives at his residence in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

NEW DELHI: Expressing deep concern over the issue of safety of Indian citizens in Uganda, following the attack on and subsequent death of an Indian among the 3 persons killed in rioting by a mob, the Congress urged the Government to take urgent steps to protect the lives of Indian expatriates.

``This is an unfortunate and regrettable incident, and the Indian National Congress calls upon the Government to take urgent and emergent steps to protect the lives of Indian expatriates, particularly those in Uganda, and to ensure that these incidents do not happen again,'' the party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said.

The party also conveyed its sincere and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of Devang Rawal in their hour of grief and prayed that they may find the strength and courage to cope with their grievous loss, she said in a statement.

Relatives console Rawal's father as he touches the coffin.

PTI reports from Ahmedabad:

The bereaved family of Devang Rawal also hopes to get some information on his untimely death.

"Rawal worked as marketing executive for a private firm Translink Pvt Ltd and what we heard is that he was shot by protesters while he was being interviewed by a local journalist," his cousin added.

Rawal was in Uganda for the past two years and was to get married on May 15 in Ahmedabad.

"We want to know what happened to our son because he went with a lot of hope to do good in life. If he was not at fault then why was he killed," his father said while holding back his tears.

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