Assurances fall flat; NE departure continues in B'lore, Maha

New Delhi, Aug 17: In spite of the repeated assurances and the open appeal by CMs and other important personnel from the Home Ministry, people from the

are leaving Karnataka, Andhra pradesh and Maharashtra in large numbers. The railway stations were choc-a-bloc with many people catching the first available train to their own states in panic mode.

Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar made an open appeal and stated that the safety of North Eastern people will be assured. Karnataka Deputy CM and Minister for Home and Transport R Ashok, the police DGP and the Bangalore Police Commissioner also made fervent pleas that there was no reason to panic, with the Bangalore police commissioner also sending SMSs to the public to not panic and that there were no incidents of attack on North Eastern citizens in Bangalore.

The assurances from them, however, fell on deaf ears as the mass exodus continued for the second straight day with three more packed trains leaving for Guwahati. There was a commotion in the Bangalore railway stations with police trying hard to pacify the North Eastern citizens. With SMSs and e-mails warning the citizens of a backlash of the Assam violence, no one wants to take a chance and are rushing to their loved ones back in their home state.

The Intelligence Bureau and the police are still trying to find out from where the sensitive emails and SMSs emerged. The Home Ministry has ordered surveillance of social media sites and nab those behind such rumour mongering.

The trend is being seen not just in Bangalore, but in Hyderabad, Chennai and Mysore as well. The killing of the Tibetan student in Mysore is only causing further panic to the already volatile situation. Large number of North Eastern people were seen leaving Maharashtra as well in spite of assurances from CM Prithviraj Chavan and Home Min RR Patil. The police have also found that the MMS doing the rounds in Pune on the Assam violence was doctored giving the impression that there were certain elements behind fanning the panic among the citizens.

The Prime Minister has reassured the country by saying, "At all cost we will ensure peace and harmony in the country. We would like all state governments to work with local communities to this effect."

OneIndia News