Meghalaya Tuesday said there was no danger to people from Assam residing in the neighbouring mountainous state and warned miscreants against spreading rumours about their safety.
"There is no mass exodus of people from Assam residing in the state. I appeal to people not to pay heed to rumour-mongers," Home Minister Roshan Warjri told IANS.
"However, some migrant labourers engaged in the construction of the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Management-Shillong at Umsawli left the place Monday night due to internal problems with the construction company," he said.
Meghalaya government officials said most of the migrant labourers were pushed back from a construction site after they failed to produce valid documents.
Warjri said she had a telephonic conversation with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi following media reports about the mass exodus of Assamese people from Meghalaya.
"I informed him (Gogoi) that there is communal tension between the indigenous people of Meghalaya with communities from Assam residing in the state. The Assam chief minister assured me that his government would issue a statement to clarify the matter."
Atul Bora, president of Assam's regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), rushed to Shillong to discuss with the government the alleged mass exodus of communities from Assam residing in Shillong.
"There was panic that people from Assam have been asked to leave the state. We have asked the home minister to provide security to Assamese people and they have assured us," Bora told journalists.
Shillong Socio Cultural Assamese Students' Association leader Krishna Borah said communities from Assam residing in Shillong were "safe and secure".
