GUWAHATI, Aug 16 � Expressing concern over the repercussions of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) area violence outside the State resulting in exodus of Assamese people back to the State, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today attributed the situation to widespread rumours and said that he had taken up the matter with his counterparts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as the Government of India.
Two ministers from Assam will be leaving for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka tomorrow in a bid to assuage the sense of fear among the Assamese people living there.
�The Assamese people living outside � especially in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka � are a panicky lot even though no major incident of violence on them has occurred so far. It is more due to rumour that the people are highly apprehensive and leaving the States in large numbers,� Gogoi said at a press conference.
Gogoi said that so widespread had been the rumours that one TV channel even reported that the Chief Minister was appealing to the Assamese people to come back.
�This is ridiculous�we have been appealing to the people not to be unnerved by the rumour but if they choose to come back we will provide the arrangements,� he said.
Gogoi said that he had been in constant touch with the Union Home Minister and the Chief Ministers of the southern States.
The Chief Minister said that the police had been instructed to get to the roots of the rumour and arrest the rumour mongers. �With the latest technology, it is easy to spread rumour through mobile phones but we are trying to prevent it,� he added.
Meanwhile, the Guwahati Railway Station witnessed huge crowds as students and professionals based outside the State started landing here. The fear factor following the backlash in many parts of the country has triggered this exodus. With rumour mills running strong, panic has struck the people based outside the State. The AASU and other organizations have repeatedly appealed to the people outside the State not to heed rumour.
