Exodus of NE People subsides in Bangalore, no let up in Chennai, Pune
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 18, 2012: The exodus of people from the northeast from Karnataka to their home states driven by fears of attacks subsided on Saturday but there was no let up for the third consecutive day in the numbers of those fleeing Chennai and Pune.

In Bangalore, railway officials said the number of those wanting to leave the city had dwindled following assurances from the Centre and the state government as also deployment of six companies of the Rapid Action Force in the city.

About 30,000 northeast people have left the city in the last three days.

In Chennai, people from northeast continued to exit the city for the third day with hundreds thronging the railway station and heading back home.

The Pune railway station witnessed fear-stricken residents crowding the ticket counters in large numbers, desperate to head to their home states.

The Centre on Saturday said adequate protection is being given by state governments to these people and termed as "false" and "fabricated" reports to the contrary.

"Protection is being given by state governments.

Some miscreants, undesirable elements and anti-social elements are spreading rumours that there is no protection to people of the northeast in South India.

It is unwarranted.

It is totally false and fabricated to create panic among people", minister of state in the PMO V Narayanasamy told reporters.

Exodus of NE People subsides in Bangalore, no let up in Chennai, Pune

Police patrolling was stepped up in Bangalore in areas prominently inhabited by people from the northeastern states, officials said.

Unlike the past few days, no special trains were announced on Saturday.

Over a 100 from the northeast waited outside the city railway station to leave for their home states, fearing reprisals for the Assam violence.

"Based on ticket sales, we will arrange for special trains.

As of now, the sales are slow paced," a senior official said.

Special trains will be considered once ticket sales crosses 2,500 a day, he said.

LUCKNOW: A day after violence in different parts of Uttar Pradesh (UP) during protests by Muslim organisations against 'atrocities on Muslims' in Assam and Myanmar, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday assured that anti-social elements behind the violence will not be spared and advised people not to pay heed to rumours.

However, Yadav gave clean chit to the police officials who initially remained a mute spectator, allowing the miscreants to go on rampage.

The CM issued statement after reviewing the situation at a meeting with his father and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav.

In Lucknow, the violence appeared to be a pre-planned move to disturbance communal amity.

The protest march was taken out from the Teele Wali Masjid after offering alvida nawaz on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan.

The protest turned violent with participants, mainly teenagers, who had come prepared with rod and sticks, ransacked Buddha park, damaged four wheelers, set afire a few bikes, forced closure of shops and attacked media persons.

Though there were intelligence reports about possibilities of violence, district administration did not take required precautionary measures.

Similar reports were received from Allahabad, Kanpur and Agra.

The common factor was that the protest march called by a Muslim organisation was publicised in Muslim dominated localities through Urdu newspapers.

Provocative posters showing gory scenes of Assam riots were pasted in these localities and pamphlets with same photographs were distributed.

Inflammatory SMSs were also circulated.

Surprisingly, police said they have not been able to establish whether the violence was premeditated or not.

Even people behind the unscheduled protest march which turned violent have not been identified.

The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) government is already facing flak from all quarters not only for deterioration of law and order in the state but also due to increase in communal clashes in UP after it assumed power in March earlier this year.

Besides, Friday's violence, five riots have taken place in first five months of the government so far.

It provided opportunity to the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to slam the government.

BJP leaders visited the park in Lucknow where Buddha's statue was vandalised and held the SP's Muslim appeasement policy responsible for the violence.

BJP leader Lalji Tandon, who also member of parliament from Lucknow, strongly condemned the violence.

Expressing concern over the incidents, he said that it was the first time in the history of Lucknow that anti-social elements after alvida prayers tried to besmear the secular culture and tradition of the city.

He also strongly condemned the attack made on the media persons.

He urged the state government to rise above vote bank politics and take strict action against the elements involved in the violence.

He said that adequate steps should also to taken to prevent such incidents from happening again.