Title - Govt acts, can’t stop flight

Action by the government and assurance from leaders did little to stop the exodus of people of the Northeast from Bangalore on Friday. More than 10,000 people boarded three trains to Assam on Friday even as the government said it had arrested six people for spreading panic. On a day the railways operated two special trains in addition to the regular service, pleas by Assam Transport Minister Chandan Brahma and Agriculture Minister Nalomani Sen Deka fell on deaf ears. “We purchased tickets and are ready to board the train. They want us to turn back now,” said Basavdatta, a passenger. While Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R Ashok said six people have been arrested for spreading panic through SMSes, the Centre has banned bulk text messages and multimedia messages for 15 days. The Union Home Ministry asked the Department of Telecommunications to implement the order through the telecom operators. From Friday, no one will be able to send more than 5 SMSes in one go and more than 20 KB of data through mobile phones. A senior ministry official said Intelligence Bureau has received some credible information about a number of websites used for spreading rumours by miscreants in Bangalore. “Investigation has started and soon we will apprehend the main culprit responsible for circulating objectionable material,” he said.

 In Bangalore, without revealing the identities of those arrested, Ashok warned that no one involved in threatening people from the Northeast will be spared.

 In Delhi, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar added that four other persons have been identified and they are going to be arrested soon.

 “No matter who the person is or how big an organisation he represents, action will be taken under the law,” Ashok told reporters at Vidhana Soudha on Friday.

 He also added that police had been instructed to track the source of bulk SMSes, which had led to the panic.

 Even as the government claimed security had been tightened in the city, three cases of assault on people from the Northeast were reported from two police station limits on Friday.

 Meanwhile, Governor H R Bhardwaj, expressing concern over panic being created by some people, called for an investigation into the source of rumours.

 A group of prominent Muslim leaders and those from the Northeast “decried” the failure of the police intelligence wing in identifying the culprits.

 At Friday prayers, Muslim leaders appealed to people to maintain peace and not heed to rumours.

 Several prominent colleges like Jyothi Nivas, Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering and Jain University persuaded Northeastern students not to leave the city and accommodated them in their hostels.

 As a confidence-building measure, a group of students started sending positive SMSes, assuring protection and appealing to Northeastern students to stay back.

 Platoons of Central Reserve Police Force that arrived in the city on Friday, were deployed in places where people from the Northeast are found in large numbers.

 This is in addition to the Karnataka State Reserve Police and City Armed Reserve Personnel.

 “Security has been tightened.

 There is no need for people to panic,” said a senior police officer.