Zeenews Bureau
Hyderabad/Bangalore: After Bangalore, there are now reports of exodus of North-East people from Hyderabad as well.
According to police, many from the North-East have left Hyderabad over the past few days and returned to their home states.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner Tirumal Rao has assured the northeasterners of safety asking them not to panic.
Earlier today, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar held a high-level meeting in the wake of exodus of people from the North-East from Bangalore amid rumours of planned attack against them.
The CM convened the meeting as over 5,000 panic-stricken people from northeastern states fled Bangalore on Wednesday night.
Two Assam-bound special trains were operated late last night in addition to the regular service to clear the sudden rush of passengers triggered by the rumours in the wake of some attacks on northeastern people in some parts of the country in the Assam violence backlash.
The stabbing of a Tibetan student by two motorcycle-borne men in Mysore on August 14 added fuel to the fears of the northeastern people whom the government and police are trying to convince that they are safe in the state.
However, state DGP Lalrokhuma Pachuau, who himself is from northeastern state of Mizoram, said today that the exact number of people who fled the city was not known as many bound for Guwahati were regular passengers, and not those leaving following the rumours.
The situation was seriously viewed by the Centre with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaking to Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who in his Independence Day address assured people from the North-East of security.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde also spoke to Shettar on phone Wednesday night and was understood to have asked him to ensure the safety of people from northeastern states in Karnataka.
First Published: Thursday, August 16, 2012, 17:05