Minister Pijush Hazarika condemned for 'threatening' scribes

DEMOW: The members of the Demow Press Club condemned minister Pijush Hazarika for threatening two journalists on Thursday.

"Being a responsible minister of this present government, how can Pijush Hazarika openly threaten a journalist over phone," said Demow Press Club members. The members of Demow Press Club demanded that Pijush Hazarika should apologize for the incident immediately.

MORIGAON: People at Jagibhakatgaon in Morigaon protested against minister Pijush Hazarika for allegedly threatening two media persons over phone.

The local people on Saturday shouted slogans demanding arrest of the minister. They also demanded a DSP or DIG level inquiry against the incident. They demanded arrest of the minister within 24 hours and if this did not happen, they threatened to gherao the police station.

The Morigaon District Media Club led by scribe Ratul Deka and Morigaon District Journalist Association also staged protest against the incident by wearing black badges.

SARUPATHAR: A controversial audio clip of minister Pijush Hazarika has gone viral where the minister was found threatening a journalist of a news channel for airing a news report related to his wife Aimee Baruah.

The Dhansiri Journalist Association submitted a memorandum to Chief Electoral Officer and the Governor of Assam through the Subdivisional officer (SDO) of Dhansiri subdivision. "Pijush Hazarika has found to have threatened a reporter with dire consequences for showing a video of his wife recorded during her election campaign in Jagiroad," the memorandum stated.

The Journalist Association said that the incident had put democracy of the State under 'serious threat'. Hazarika clearly violated the Model Code of Conduct, and laws such as the Representation of People Act, 1951, they added.

The Journalist Association of Dhansiri subdivision also condemned the 'act of intimidation in the strongest words' and said that it was unbecoming of a public representative to threaten a journalist with dire consequences. The Journalist Association also demanded that the safety and security of the journalists concerned should be ensured by the Election Commission and the State Government.

Dhekiajuli: The Sonitpur Unit of Assam Press Correspondence Union (APCU) and Dhekiajuli Press Club jointly staged a one-hour protest in front of Dhekiajuli Revenue Circle Office against minister Pijush Hazarika for threatening two journalists over phone on April 1.

The protest was attended by Bhagawan Baishya, president, Dhekiajuli Press Club, Rahmat Ansary, AMSU Sonitpur District president, Golok Borah, adviser, Dhekiajuli Press Club, and other scribes. Bhagawan Baishya, president of Dhekiajuli Press Club, said that journalists were not safe and warned the BJP government that journalists would not tolerate any threatens from ministers and other public representatives. The protesters shouted slogans against Pijush Hazarika and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Later, Circle Officer of Dhekiajuli Revenue Circle, Adhiraj Chomuwa came out of his office chamber and met the protesters. Different organizations of Sonitpur district came forward to support the Dhekiajuli Press Club and APCU Sonitpur District. The protesters then submitted a memorandum containing a charter of demands to the Circle Officer, addressed to the Governor of Assam. The Circle Officer assured the protesters that he would send the memorandum submitted by the protesters to the Governor for further action.