Hyderabad: Two ministers from Assam on Saturday reviewed the situation following the flight of some Assamese from here and reassured the migrants that Hyderabad was safe for them.
For the second consecutive day, Assam’s Minister for Power and Industry Pradyut Bordoloi and Minister for Forests Rakib-ul-Hussain met people from the northeastern state living here and tried to instil confidence in them.
The ministers were accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy as they held a meeting with representatives of information technology (IT) companies and private security agencies.
The meeting reviewed the steps being taken for the safety and security of the Assamese, most of whom work as security guards in IT companies, shopping malls and hotels.
The ministers late Friday visited Anjaiahnagar and Siddiquenagar areas of Cyberabad where a large number of Assamese reside. The ministers interacted with the people and advised them not to believe the rumours of attacks.
While trying to allay their apprehensions, the ministers from Assam also advised people to approach the police if they faced any problem or felt threatened.
Bordoloi praised the Andhra Pradesh government for taking steps to instil confidence among migrants. He said the Assamese living in Hyderabad faced no threat.
Meanwhile, Cyberabad Police Commissioner D. Tirumala Rao said following persuasion by the police, 60 Assamese dropped their plans to leave the city.
According to him, 60 employees of two hotels in Kondapur in Hitec City were about to leave following rumours that they would be attacked. The police officials persuaded them to stay back.
Yet, despite assurances by the police, people from northeastern states continue to leave the city.
After security guards and workers, some students and professionals are also returning home.
Due to the rush of passengers to the northeastern states, the South Central Railway is attaching additional coaches to the long distance trains.
Two general class coaches were attached to Hyderabad-Howrah East Coast Express which left Hyderabad on Saturday morning. The railway officials have also added three coaches to the Secunderabad-Guwahati Weekly Express, which will leave Secunderabad Sunday.
Police officials denied any mass exodus of people of the northeast.
Director General of Police Dinesh Reddy said some people were leaving to spend time with their families due to the situation back home and not because of any threat or anxiety here.
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has called upon Muslims across India to help their brethren who were rendered homeless in the recent Assam violence.
Owaisi has stressed the need to chalk out an action plan in this regard and also suggested that Muslims register 10,000 first information reports (FIRs) with regard to the atrocities committed on them by Bodos.
Addressing a huge gathering at Masjid-e-Azizia here late Friday, the member of parliament urged Muslim doctors and lawyers to rush to the relief camps in Assam and extend all possible assistance to the displaced people.
“We can’t remain silent on this ethnic cleansing. Muslims should stand up and protest. The Muslims of Assam are looking to us for help,” said Owaisi, who recently visited the relief camps and distributed medicines worth Rs2 million (Dh132,010).
Speaking about the pathetic conditions of over four lakh people in relief camps, Owaisi alleged that the government had failed to come to their rescue.
“I have no faith in the state or the central governments. The Congress party is playing a game. It comes to power with the Muslim votes but is not ready to take on the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), which is creating the trouble,” he said, warning the Congress party that it would lose power in 2014 general elections.
Stating that all those displaced in Assam were Indians, Owaisi said there was no truth in the claims that they were Bangladeshis.
