As over 5,000 panic-stricken people from northeastern states fled the city after rumours of attacks targeting the community spread, Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar is holding a high-level meeting on Thursday to tackle the situation.
Two Assam-bound special trains were operated late on Wednesday 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 people from northeast 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 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 Manipur, said 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.
Concerned over the development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday night spoke to Shettar who assured him that steps were being taken to give protection to the people from the northeast.
Besides the PM, home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also spoke to Shettar on the issue.
Sources in the chief minister's office said that Shettar would discuss with the officials the exodus and find solutions to tide over the fresh problem.
A small group of people at the railway station said, "We are expecting the railway authorities to make an announcement of arranging special trains to Guwahati. We want to be with our families in Assam. We have been informed that some people are planning to attack us as our community was attacked in Mumbai and other parts of the country.
"We do not want to take any risk as nobody comes to our rescue when we are attacked," Monica and others from her region said in unison as they waited at the railway station on Thursday morning.
Railway officials had said on Wednesday that they had sold more than 5000 tickets for northeast destinations.