Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday expressed "deep concern" over a spate of attacks on students of the northeast in the city and promised to take all "necessary steps" to ensure their safety and security.

"The prime minister expressed his deep concern over rising cases of crime against northeasterners here and told us that all necessary steps will be taken to address their concerns," Sharif Laskar, general secretary of the Northeast Congress Committee, who led a delegation to Singh, said.

Lashkar said the prime minister listened to their grievances patiently and also told the delegation that he will convene a meeting on the issue where the students from the region studying here will also be invited.

"We sought his immediate intervention in ensuring safety and security of the people of northeast here. We told him that the students have big expectations from him as he represents the region in Parliament," Laskar said.

Laskar had earlier led a delegation of students from the region to Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi who had assured them of full support.

"We told Singh that that despite assurances by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, attacks on students from the region are continuing unabated," he said.

The murder of a teenaged Naga girl from Manipur last month allegedly by an IIT Phd scholar has snowballed into a major issue, triggering widespread protests by students from the region.