Assam journos protest minister’s ‘derogatory words’; CM Sarma apologises for any insult
State Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayana Malla Baruah refused to answer a question on Friday, where the BJP leader was locked in a case on the allocation of government milk promotion plan funds and was locked on the purchase of stern cows from a project supported by the state on behalf of a company owned by his wife.
At this press conference, Baruah said that he would not respond to people like a reporter and that he would respond to the owner of the channel ‘Practice Time’.
Guwahati -based journalists participated in a protest organized by the Gauhati Press Club (GPC) and condemned such recurrent events of verbal insults by politicians of different parties.
Protester journalists, who referred to the latest example, asked an apology from the minister and asked for guarantee from all neighborhoods that were not more repeated in the abuse of such media people.
Journalists’ protests by journalists, including Sivasagar, Samaguri and Dibrugarh, also wore black badges and raised slogans against the minister. “If he said something damaging to any journalist, I shouldn’t have to apologize.” He said. “Even though I haven’t heard what you said, I’m sorry for that,” he added.
Wrapping, Baruah had said something bad, argued that he should be a shift of language because it came from humble beginnings.
“You know him well. He’s a common or humble roots. We all.” He said.
Referring to the spat between the ruling party and some media houses of the state, Sarma, “Media houses and journalists are different. Journalists are respected … If we say something about the owners, journalists should not intervene.”
“The media can criticize us, but don’t blame for your owners,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that the media hosts have various commercial interests and that they could take action to violate tours or laws, but that the person should not be foreseen because of media investment.
Sarma claiming that Media House owners have high income from various sources such as state contracts, said that they should be paid well to journalists employed by them.
“The journalists here are at least paid. They don’t have their own homes. When no one gets sick, they come to me to get help. I am always happy to help, but the owners should give them at least 10 lakh.” He said.
He claimed that the situation of the region and rural reporters was still worse because they were still paid per news.
Sarma, “Rural journalists tell me that they will be paid to RS 100 for each news they are filed and used. So I always give them ayst, so that their news can be used and paying their payments.” He said.
The Prime Minister also advocated the fixing of the minimum wage for journalists and eight -hour shifts for journalists.
