PM appeals to maintain communal harmony, peace at all cost

Decrying rumours about attacks on people from North-East living in other states, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an appeal to remain vigilant and maintain peace at any cost.

"We must work together to ensure that all people from other states do not feel threatened by rumour mongering and SMSes. We have to maintain peace at any cost," Singh said at an Iftaar hosted by him when asked about the exodus of people hailing from North-East from Karnataka.

Singh said he had spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and was constantly in touch with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. He said he was yet to speak with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Reddy.

"We have to maintain communal harmony. We have to be vigilant," Singh said to a question on whether he was concerned about the effects of Assam violence spreading to other states.

On his talks with Shettar last night, the prime minister said he asked him about the rumours going around that people from North-East wanting to leave the state.

"All political parties must work together to give a feeling of confidence to all affected people," he said.

Singh said the Karnataka chief minister was good enough to send his home minister to the Bangalore railway station, where people from North-East had gathered to board trains to Guwahati.

"They (Karnataka government) are taking all the steps to quash rumour mongering," said the prime minister.

The stabbing of a Tibetan student by two motorcycle-borne men in Mysore on Tuesday added to the fears of the north-eastern people.