Govt to ensure security of students from NE: Chidambaram

New Delhi, May 4: Rejecting the contention that students from North East are subjected to discrimination and racial profiling, Home Minister P

today said the Government will take every step to ensure their security and asked states to do the same.

"The Government of India will take every step to ensure their security and I am confident that all state governments will discharge their constitutional responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of all people residing within that state," Chidambaram said in Rajya Sabha.

He was responding to a calling attention notice by the Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley in the wake of deaths of two students from North East in Gurgaon, Haryana and Bengaluru.

Jaitley said, "I call the attention of Home Minister towards issues of racial profiling and discrimination towards students of North East, who go to different parts."

Replying to it, Chidambaram said the state governments were primarily responsible for the prevention of crimes arising out of discrimination, adding, the Centre accorded "highest importance to development of North Eastern region as well as prevention of atrocities against Schedule Tribe and will not countenance discrimination in any form."

Referring to the recent death of Dana Sangma in Gurgaon near Delhi and of Richard Loitam in Bengaluru besides allegations of racial profiling against Tibetans during the recent BRICS summit, he said these have caused disquiet and agitation among the community, specially students from the region.

He said the police is investigating the deaths of both Sangma and Loitam after registering cases and conducting post mortems.

PTI