Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah took to his Facebook page claiming that he commented due to constant prodding by the said journalist
Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Sunday issued a public apology to the media for a comment made against a journalist of a particular media house (not News Live) which he said he should not have made.
Taking to his official Facebook page the senior cabinet minister said he was “pained” to learn that his outburst, which he said was due to constant prodding by the journalist of a particular media house who was working under the influence of his management’s private interests, has hurt the media fraternity.
He also said that his comment was taken out of context and that he had never intended to insult journalists.
Claiming that his family has had a long-standing relationship with journalism since his father too had served as a local correspondent of a reputed vernacular newspaper for 22 years, the Assam minister said the respect that he and his family has for journalists and journalism remains and will continue for ever.
He, however, accused the an editor of the said media house of trying to tarnish his image in public.
His apology comes a day after Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma apologised to the media for Jayanta Mallabarua’s comment which he said was “unacceptable”.
Dr Sarma had also said that he would ask the minister to tender an apology.
Jayanta Mallabaruah had called the journalist “low class person”, apparently miffed at the latter’s constant prodding and attempts to elicit a response from him during a media briefing in Guwahati on Friday.
