Government forms group to protect northeast people

, Feb 6: The home ministry has formed a six-member group to take steps to protect people from the northeast in Delhi, an MP from Manipur said on Thursday.

This comes after the death of a student from Aruanchal Pradesh, Nido Tania, who was beaten to death here allegedly by two shopkeepers.

"The committee has been established to ensure that the rights of the people from the northeast are ensured and such incidents do not happen in future," Thangso Baite told the media. "The chairman of the committee has been given the power to appoint additional people from NGOs and to suggest remedial measures," said the Lok Sabha member.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi accompanied MPs from the northeast when they met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde earlier on Thursday.

"We have also demanded a deterrent law," he said.

Tania, son of Arunachal Pradesh Congress legislator Nido Pavitra, died Jan 30 after being attacked following a row over his appearance.

IANS