JOIN USCity police detained four protesters for shouting slogans against the Assam ministers during their interaction with the North-East bound passengers at the City railway station on Friday.
“Why are you ministers here while there is no control on the situation in your own state? Please go back and save Assam border there. We want peace here,” said one of the protesters.
A small disturbance of chairs near where the protesters were sloganeering resulted in police taking them into custody. They belonged to India Against Corruption, an NGO closely affilated with the Anna Hazare movement.
There were around 2,000 passengers at the Station on Friday who could not be accommodated in trains on Thursday.
More people started arriving at the railway station after 11 am. As the crowd swelled by afternoon, the South West Railways decided to start the first special train at 3 pm. However, this wasn’t sufficient and another special train had to be arranged at 8 pm.
Assamese Transport minister Chandan Brahma and Agriculture and his colleague, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka, arrived at the station late afternoon to interact with the passengers leaving for the North-East.
They were accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka, Law Minister Suresh Kumar, KPCC President Dr Parameshwara, Gandhinagar MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao and Congress MP Oscar Fernandes.
Brahma told passengers at the station that there was no need to panic and Karnataka was a safe place to live. “You need not worry about your parents in Assam. We assure you full protection to people there. Please stay back and lead your lives as usual in Karnataka,” he said.
Minister Nilamoni called for unity and said there was no need to fear any threats. “We have had detailed talks with the Karnataka Government and we are all with you,” he said.
However, North East citizens were not convinced. “We can’t say no to parents call from home as they are concerned about us. How can we believe in political assurances?
I don’t see any policemen making rounds during night at my house in Koramangala. We will come back when we feel things are smooth in Bangalore,” said Avinash Bardhan, an N-E bound commuter.