The Journalists Union of Assam (JUA) has strongly condemned Assam minister Pijush Hazarika for allegedly threatening journalists of a private news channel with “dire straits”.
The reaction from the journalists’ organisation of Assam comes after an audio clip where minister Pijush Hazarika is heard “threatening” a journalist of a news channel.
In a statement, the Journalists Union of Assam (JUA) said: “In a shocking voice recording, the minister is heard repeatedly threatening a journalist of the news channel over a news related to his wife, Aimee Barua.”
In the audio clip, minister Hazarika, who is representing the Jagiroad Assembly constituency, is heard saying “he would drag out the journalist and his colleague to the street”.
Also read: Gauhati Press Club slams Assam minister Pijush Hazarika for “threatening” TV journalist
“Drunk with power, the minister even challenged the news channel to be ready for what is in store for it,” the statement said.
Castigating the minister for his behaviour, which the Journalists Union of Assam (JUA) said was “shameful and unbecoming of a public representative”, the journalists body demanded that Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal should rein in his “unruly minister” and ensure that he doesn’t cross the “Lakshmanrekha”.
Pijush Hazarika is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Jagiroad Assembly seat.
The voters of Jagiroad Assembly constituency exercised their franchise on Thursday (April 1) in the second phase of the Assam Assembly election 2021.
Earlier on Thursday, the Gauhati Press Club slammed minister Pijush Hazarika for allegedly threatening the journalist.