DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has spoken to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking his intervention to secure the release of a state youth from a prison in Australia. According to media reports, 24-year-old Vishal Jood is lodged in an Australian prison for alleged hand in a series of hate attacks on suspected pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Sydney this year. There have been protests for his release in Karnal and Haryana districts from the Ror community, to which he belongs. "Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking his intervention to secure release of Haryanvi youth Vishal Jood, who is currently lodged in a prison in Australia," said a tweet from the state's Directorate of Information, Public Relations and Languages Department. "For the honour of the Tricolour in Sydney, Haryana's young Vishal Jood fought firmly with anti-national forces and did not allow the Tricolour to be insulted," the tweet further said. "There are also a lot of demonstrations taking place in Australia in support of Vishal. Vishal's supporters claim that some anti-national forces beat him up and later implicated him in a false case after which he was sent to jail," it said, adding Jaishankar has assured Khattar of taking steps to secure the youth's release. (editor@dailyworld.in)