Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

New Delhi/ Bangalore:  The Centre and the Karnataka government have reiterated that there is no threat to people from the North-East living in Bangalore, and there is no need for them to considering returning home. Cosmopolitan cities like Bangalore and Pune have been on edge as they try to guard against aftershocks of the ethnic clashes in Assam over the last month. Here are the latest developments in this case:

People from the North East should stay where they are, said Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi this afternoon.  He phoned the chief minister of Karnataka yesterday to request that students and young professionals in Bangalore be reassured that no attacks have taken place in the state against anyone from the North East.  

    Some students in Bangalore who belong to the North East have reported receiving threatening sms-es.    The central and state government say attempts are being made to identify the senders of these messages. Doctored photos on social media are also being circulated, say sources, resulting in tension.

    The government is also stressing that two special trains that left Bangalore for Guwahati last night accommodated people travelling for the long weekend and Eid.  Reports of people leaving Bangalore in panic are incorrect, they said.

    New violence has been reported from Assam’s  Baksa and Kamrup (Rural) districts -  a car, bus and bridge have been set  on fire. 

    Baksa,  which is in lower Assam, was one of the districts affected in the recent clashes between Bodo tribals and Bengali-speaking Muslims.  Nearly 80 people have died in the last month in the ethnic clashes.  Till rrecently, four lakh people were packed into relief camps. 

    Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said in Delhi this morning, "I appeal to the people not to spread any rumours. Strict action will be taken against those who do that." Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar met this morning with student representatives of the North Eastern community in Bangalore. He assured them that their security is a priority for the government.

    Yesterday, Mr Shinde and the Prime Minister had called Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who heads the BJP government in Karnataka,  asking him to ensure the safety of the thousands of students from the North-East who live in Bangalore.

    In New Delhi,  senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said, "Panic due to rumours in Karnataka is a very serious issue. The Karnataka government will do everything to protect the people from the North-East. It is a case of concerted effort to create divide among people." She also urged the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to build confidence among people from the North East who  study or  work in cities like Hyderabad and Pune.

    Over the weekend, a demonstration in Mumbai against the violence in Assam was attended by thousands; it ended in a riot with an armed mob attacking the crowd, policemen and reporters.

    A doctored MMS that was circulated in Mumbai also allegedly provoked violence against the North-Eastern community in nearby Pune. 12 people have been attacked in the last week in the city known for its IT hub and colleges. 11 people have been arrested.