Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi here on Thursday said that rumourmongers have caused panic among the people of north-eastern states living in south Indian states and a large number of them are returning home.
Informing that a minister and two top bureaucrats are being sent to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to coordinate and pacify the situation, Mr Gogoi told reporters, “A section of television media was abetting rumourmongers by spreading false news claiming that I have asked people of north-eastern states to come back.”
Asserting that he never made such statement, Mr Gogoi said, “Situation in trouble-torn Bodoland Territorial Council and its neighbouring district was returning to normal but some vested interest circle was trying to instigate the situation again.”
Asking the residents of north-eastern states living outside the state not to be panicked by rumours, Mr Gogoi said, “ I am in touch with my counterparts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Both the chief ministers have assured me to take all necessary steps to ensure safety and security of people of north-eastern states.”
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Assam: locals block highway, cops called in
age correspondent
Guwahati, Aug. 16
Security sources said the arson and highway blockade in Assam were the fallout of an incident on Wednesday in which a few people set ablaze a car and the driver of the car, Sahidul Hussain, went missing. As news reached Rangiya, angry locals blocked NH-31 at Udiana Chowk, under Rangiya police station area, on Thursday morning.
The mob, which started swelling, also tried to attack the vehicle of Rangiya SDO Barnali Deka who had gone there to pacify the mob, forcing the police to open fire and use tear gas to disperse the mob. However, Ms Deka was safe. The mob also stopped a passenger bus and set it ablaze while hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the highways. The mob also set afire a wooden bridge at Kekahati.
Assam CM claimed the situation was brought under control.
Asserting that the situation was limping back to normalcy in trouble-torn Western Assam as well, Mr Gogoi said so far 1.88 lakh refugees have left the relief camps but 2,92,542 people are still in the camps. The CM, who had set a deadline of August 15 to ensure their return to their villages, clarified that rehabilitation of refugees from Kokraj-har may take longer.