India says websites in Pakistan to blame for spreading panic among northeast Indians

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW DELHI — India says that websites in Pakistan were responsible for panic-inducing rumours that caused thousands of people from India’s remote northeast to flee the southern city of Bangalore. They feared they would be attacked in retaliation for ethnic violence in their home state.

Home Secretary R.K. Singh told reporters late Saturday that investigators had found that most of the websites used morphed images of people killed in cyclones and earthquakes to spread fear. He said most of the images were uploaded from Pakistan. The sites have now been blocked.

The exodus followed clashes in Assam in recent weeks between ethnic Bodos and Muslims that killed more than 50 people and left 400,000 in displacement camps. Those fleeing Bangalore said they had heard text messages had been circulating threatening attacks by Muslims.

04:02ET 19-08-12