All party delegation to visit Assam as part of confidence building

[1]

An all party delegation will visit violence-hit Assam's Dhubri district on Monday as part of confidence building measures.

The delegation of ten parties will meet various civil society organisations and inmates who are staying in relief camps.

An indefinite curfew continued in Chirang district as a precautionary measure though no untoward incident has been reported during the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashoka has called upon people of northeastern including students and professionals who had fled Bengaluru after rumours of an attack planned against them to return and assured them of security and safety.

Ashoka, who visited Imphal on Sunday, said: "I appeal to the students of Manipur to come back, we will give all the security and where they are working . Please come back to Bengaluru."

"We are Indians, we are brothers and sisters. Bengaluru is safe; do not believe in rumours," he added.

Thousands of people hailing from northeastern states had fled from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Mumbai as fear grew of a backlash over violence against Muslims in Assam.

The mass exodus had been triggered by widely circulated text messages and notices on social networking sites that created a fear psychosis among northeastern migrants, who feared a violent reaction following the violence in Assam.

Violent clashes erupted in Assam in July after unidentified men killed four Bodo youths. In retaliation, armed Bodos - who dominate Kokrajhar and Chirang districts - attacked minority groups, suspecting them of being behind the deaths.