Assam Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah faces backlash for derogatory remark against journalist
Guwahati: The Media Association of Assam (MAA) and the Guwahati Press Club (GPC) have strongly condemned Assam’s Public Health Engineering Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah for his derogatory remarks against a journalist during a press conference in Guwahati on 27 June.
The minister, while responding to a question related to the Gir cow controversy, reportedly told a journalist from the Sadin-Pratidin group, “I will not speak to inferior people like you… I will answer when your owner asks me a question.”
The MAA has demanded an immediate apology from the minister, while the GPC, without naming Baruah, expressed serious concern over the increasing trend of politicians insulting journalists when asked critical questions. “A person has every right to not answer a journalist. But insulting them or their media house is undignified,” said GPC president Susmita Goswami.
In a joint statement, MAA president Hiren Chandra Kalita and secretary-general Chandra Kumar Shaikia expressed outrage and urged all journalists to boycott the minister until he issues a public apology.
The GPC reminded political leaders that if they are unwilling to be questioned, they should avoid holding press conferences and instead issue statements. It also reiterated that such behaviour will not deter journalists from carrying out their responsibilities. “The voice of a free press cannot be stifled,” it said.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
