MHA denies reports of probe against Assam journalists

New Delhi: Union home ministry has denied reports that it had asked the Assam government to investigate some local editors who had opposed the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

While describing such reports as totally baseless and mischievous the ministry in a statement said, “this is absolutely baseless and a mischievous interpretation of facts. This is to clarify that the Union home ministry has not asked the government of Assam to initiate any enquiry against any editor or member of the press/media.’’

The statement further added, “the factual position is that one Vinay Joshi, with the address of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, sent a public grievance petition to the Home Ministry on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) on February 14, 2019 related to the issue of Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 stating that the issue has been exploited by different militant groups like Ulfa and the media has propagated militant ideology to give fresh boost to the militant groups.’’

The ministry clarified that a large number of such complaints on several issues are received by it regularly on the CPGRAMS. The annual figure being 33,000 for the year 2018 and every such petition is regularly forwarded to the concerned ministries and state government.

In view of this procedure,''the petition of Vinay Joshi was routinely forwarded to the Government of Assam. No enquiry of any kind has been ordered by the ministry. No report has been called from the Government of Assam in the matter,’’ the Ministry further clarified.

Ministry officials said that it was ''mischievous’’ to claim that the Home Ministry has directed the Assam Government to initiate action against any editor or media person in the State.