The ministry of Home Affairs has included Assam in the protected area category following controversy regarding National Register of Citizens (NRC) and foreign journalists are now barred from entering the state.
As per a report in the Assam Tribune, a female reporter of wire agency Associated Press (AP) was recently escorted by the Assam Police to the airport and put in the next available flight to Delhi.
Foreign journalists have currently been barred from entering Jammu and Kashmir and a few states of the northeast on reporting assignments.
The home ministry had taken the decision to stop foreign journalists from entering the state as some foreign media houses have been widely critical of the NRC exercise in Assam.
However, if any foreign journalist wishes to enter Assam on reporting assignment, he/she will have to take permission from the external affairs ministry.
Moreover, the foreign journalists will be permitted to enter Assam only if the home ministry allows them to do so in addition to the external affairs ministry.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday afternoon claimed that the information in the article by The Assam Tribune is misleading and incorrect.
“Neither the MHA nor MEA has given any information as mentioned,” the MHA spokesperson said in a tweeter message.