Assam Newspaper Bundles Burned in Sivasagar as Parties Trade Accusations

Calls for an independent probe reflect deep concern over press freedom during the election campaign.

Overview

Bundles of the Dibrugarh edition of Asomiya Pratidin were burned near Joysagar in Sivasagar on Wednesday, drawing sharp reactions in poll-bound Assam.
Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi alleged that local BJP members Pinku Dutta and Partha Bora were filmed setting the papers ablaze.
The BJP condemned the act as unacceptable in a democracy and urged police to identify and punish those responsible.
Press bodies and the newspaper’s management demanded a swift, impartial probe and quick arrests, and no arrests were reported in the coverage.
Congress state chief Gaurav Gogoi blamed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for fostering a hostile climate for media, a focus of The Sentinel’s report as PTI’s account in ThePrint detailed broader party and industry reactions.