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Rahul backs North-East students

Last Updated 03 February 2014, 20:30 IST

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday met north-eastern students as their chorus for justice grew at Jantar Mantar. He backed the need for a fair probe into the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam. 

The 19-year-old son of a legislator died on Thursday after he was allegedly beaten up by shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar market in south Delhi. 

“We are going to ensure that you get respect,” said Gandhi. He shared the stage with protesting students. According to Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Ninong Ering, Rahul asked Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to order a judicial probe into the death of Taniam. 

Earlier, a delegation of north-east students, along with Ering, who is also a Member of Parliament from Arunachal Pradesh, met Gandhi to discuss safety of the north-eastern students. 

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has directed the Delhi Police to adopt a zero-tolerance approach in such cases.

At a meeting, the ministry asked the police to immediately register cases and launch a probe upon receiving complaints and book the guilty.

The police were also asked to sensitise all police stations about the people from the north-eastern living in their respective jurisdictions and address their grievances.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also promised a delegation of north-east students that he would join their protest for speedy justice. The delegation accompanied by Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Ninong Ering submitted a memorandum to the chief minister in this regard.

Kejriwal is likely to visit protesters at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, sources said. It is not immediately clear whether he would also join them briefly at their sit-in. Activist Binalakshmi Nepram said the chief minister had assured them of taking up the issue with the Lieutenant Governor and press for immediate police action in the case.
Lawyers move Supreme Court

A group of lawyers approached the Supreme Court on Monday seeking directions to the government to take steps to protect people of the north-eastern states, reports DHNS from New Delhi. The PIL filed by advocate D K Garg referred to the January 29 fatal attack in Delhi on Nido Taniam from Arunachal Pradesh, suspicious death of a Manipuri student Loitam Richard in Bangalore in 2012 and the case of suicide by a girl from Meghalaya, Dana Sangma, in Noida in 2012. The petitioners relied upon a survey conducted by the Centre for North-East Study and Policy Research (CNESPR) at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia, which indicated that the problems of these north-east residents were increasing day by day due to racial discrimination.

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(Published 03 February 2014, 20:30 IST)

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