Asom Government to file case against NETV
NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the Government will file a case against North East Television (NETV) for reporting that the State administration allegedly paid money to banned outfit ULFA to withdraw its call to boycott the National Games.
“Yes, we are going to file a case against the TV channel. I have taken the matter very seriously, and we are not going to spare them,” he said here today.
“The channel today reported that it did not run the story, but I have video recording of the news item and I will certainly take action against them,” he said.
Terming the news report as malicious, Gogoi asked as to why the channel took six days to deny the report. “They aired the report on January 25, but I was told that they have denied it today,” he said.
Only yesterday, the ULFA had warned the TV channel, owned by former Union Minister and Congress leader Matang Singh, that it would have to wind up its operations in Asom if it failed to prove its report that the banned outfit had taken money from the Government to withdraw its call to boycott the National Games.
The report had said that ULFA had clandestinely accepted money from the Government to consider withdrawing its call to boycott the National games, scheduled to be held here during February 9-18. PTI
ULFA justifies threat to NETV, slams BJP
GUWAHATI, Jan 31: The ULFA today justified its threat to the NETV saying that it was yet to withdraw its call to boycott the National Games. “The TV channel has to clear the controversy it created by telecasting a news item stating that the ULFA received cash from the Government so as to allow the National Games go smoothly in the State,”
the rebel group said in its mouthpiece Swadhinata.
After NETV, the Asom unit of the BJP today came under fire from the ULFA for the party’s allegation that the outfit had accepted a huge amount of money to consider withdrawing its boycott to the National Games.
The ULFA warned the BJP of ‘dire consequences’ if it could not prove its charge that the outfit had accepted money from the Asom Government to consider withdrawing its boycott call for the Games.
“Like the NETV, the State unit of the BJP has brought the allegation... they have to prove it or face dire consequences,” the mouthpiece which was e-mailed to the local media said.
The outfit also criticized journalists Dhirendra Nath Chakravarty, Dilip Chandan Sarma and Axom Xahitya Xabha president Kanaksen Deka for supporting NE TV’s charge that the ULFA had accepted money.
“All of them are in league with the Government and have no right to reject the demand of sovereignty,” it said.
The proscribed outfit came down heavily on NE TV CMD Manoranjana Singh saying that by airing the charge, the channel had “flouted all norms of journalism and truth.”
It, however, said that it wanted talks and disputed the Governor’s contention that it was not interested in dialogue. “The Governor of Assam has given an anti-Asom speech on the Republic Day function when he said the ULFA was not interested in talks,” the mouthpiece said, and added: “We constituted the People’s Consultative Group (PCG) only to pave the way of direct talks
with the Government. The role of the PCG should not be misinterpreted as that of a mediator.”
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