Centre Draws Criticism from All Corners After Blocking Ads to 'The Assam Tribune'

Assam Tribune

Guwahati, July 2, 2019:

Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA), while expressing surprise over a media report narrating the ‘directive’ of Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) for not issuing advertisement to “The Assam Tribune” since February last because of ‘its anti-citizenship amendment bill stand’ and have urged the Union government in New Delhi to clarify its position.

“It is unfortunate that a pioneer newspaper of northeast India has been subjected to such unwanted situation even though The Assam Tribune has played practically a neutral role while reporting the CAB issues since last year,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and Secretary Nava Thakuria.

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The forum also appealed to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal (also in charge of IPR portfolio) to speak to the Centre for an early resolution to the matter so that the acclaimed English daily does not face any 'unnecessary annoyance' because of 'misinformed inputs' which would finally affect its readership.

It is to be mentioned that Narendra Modi-led NDA Government has come under a fresh series of attacks from the Opposition over its alleged attempt to ‘silence’ the media, the fourth pillar of democracy. Assam’s popular English-daily The Assam Tribune has reported that the Government’s Directorate of Advertising and Publicity (DAVP) has stopped issuing advertisement to the newspaper since February due to ‘instructions from higher-ups’.