A council is being slammed for choosing the title 'Operation India' as a name for it crackdown on dodgy taxi drivers.

Amid accusations of racism , critics claim it's a "shocking" choice of name - but the authority in Milton Keynes response is that it is simply an innocent coincidence.

It said it was following convention by using the international phonetic alphabet - as the previous operations were called Foxtrot, Golf and Hotel.

Operation India was set up as a joint initiative between the council's cab licensing officers and Thames Valley Police to carry out checks on taxi drivers.

But a cab boss who has worked in Milton Keynes for 12 years said: "I think it will cause outrage across the taxi driving community."

The man, who asked not to be named, added: "Just to use the word... it’s like they’re implying criminal drivers are Indian.

"Why did they have to use a country or race?

"I don’t have a problem with the police and council coming to check that our taxis are legal and safe.

"However to use 'India' as the name of the operation is racially insensitive and it should be retracted."

Milton Keynes councillor Mohammed Khan said: "It’s essentially blaming all Indian taxi drivers... these are good hard-working people who work unsocial hours to make sure people get home safely.

"This name must be reconsidered - people will be outraged and it does not send a good message about ethnic minorities."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/operation-india-racism-row-over-9761104