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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'The Ba**ds of Bollywood’ mirrors my life, damages my reputation: Sameer Wankhede tells Delhi HC
New Delhi: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has submitted his reply to the Delhi High Court in the defamation case he filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The case pertains to the recently released series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede claims has defamed him.
In his statement to the court, Wankhede asserted that the show’s portrayal of a police officer is clearly based on him and has caused serious harm to his public image. He cited four key reasons supporting his claim.
First, he said the character in question bears physical similarities to him, including facial and body features. Second, he noted that the character’s working style and mannerisms closely resemble his own.
Third, Wankhede highlighted that the officer in the show is depicted making a high-profile arrest involving a major film personality, which he said directly mirrors his own involvement in the Aryan Khan drug case.
Fourth, he pointed out that the character frequently uses the phrase “Satyameva Jayate,” a motto he himself had used during media interactions in the course of that investigation. He argued that using the national motto in such a context cannot be dismissed as creative expression or humour.
Wankhede also referred to an interview in which Aryan Khan allegedly admitted that the show was “inspired by some real events.” This, he said, contradicts Red Chillies Entertainment’s claim that The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is purely fictional.
He further alleged that the tone and intent of the series indicate personal and institutional vendetta, aimed at discrediting and defaming him rather than engaging in artistic storytelling.
Wankhede informed the court that the fallout from the show has affected his family, with his wife and sister receiving abusive and vulgar messages online.
Rejecting Red Chillies’ argument that he is a “thin-skinned” officer, Wankhede said that a public servant cannot be expected to tolerate false and damaging portrayals simply because of his position. He emphasized that his legal action seeks to protect the constitutional rights and dignity of both himself and his family.
