Modi Govt Stops Ads to 'The Assam Tribune' Due to Opposition to CAB

New Delhi, June 29, 2019:

The 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'.

The Assam Tribune reports that this was done due to the newspaper's stand against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which eventually lapsed in the Rajya Sabha even though it was passed in the lower house.

The opposition has claimed that the Central Government is attempting to 'gag' media that is critical of the administration by stopping government advertisements to those houses.

These claims were made by leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, and first-time MP and firebrand Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mohua Moitra, reports The Assam Tribune.

Choudhury has alleged that media is being 'gagged' and all advertisements are being stopped. "Their fault is that they have been raising a voice against the Government, which is not a crime", he said.

Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra, who has quickly garnered attention due to her outspoken criticism of the Modi Government, raised the issue during Zero Hour on Thursday and said: "We want to know as to what is the break-up of the advt-spend via media houses and if certain print media are being excluded."

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