Dispur: Media bodies across Assam have condemned Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his comments targeting the religious identity of journalist Shah Alam during a press interaction. The incident occurred when Alam questioned the Chief Minister about measures against illegal hill-cutting in Assam, which led Sarma to make remarks linking Alam to a Muslim-owned university involved in similar accusations.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the confrontation happened during a media briefing where Alam, a Muslim reporter, asked about the state’s actions regarding hill-cutting activities. Chief Minister Sarma responded by questioning Alam’s association with a university accused of exacerbating flood conditions through hill flattening, a response that has sparked significant backlash from various journalistic communities.

The Journalists’ Union of Assam, through its leaders Samim Sultana Ahmed and Dhanjit Kumar Das, criticized Sarma for diverting from the journalist’s valid inquiry to his religious background, describing it as inappropriate for a public official. The Gauhati Press Club, represented by Sushmita Goswami and Sanjoy Ray, expressed concerns over the growing instances of journalists being disparaged based on personal attributes during official interactions.

Additionally, the Journalist Association for Assam, with spokespersons including Abhideep Choudhury and Pankaj Deka, reiterated that associating a journalist’s identity with their professional duties is unacceptable and called for a change in how politicians engage with the press. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also took to social media to denounce Sarma’s comments as a reflection of unacceptable and condemnable behavior.