FIR against Guwahati Press Club over Ulfa interview

A senior journalist and former member of the Guwahati Press Club filed a complaint with the police in the city alleging that the press club had organized an audio interview with Paresh Barua, the self-styled military chief of banned militant outfit Ulfa (I).

Guwahati (Assam): The Guwahati Press Club has stumbled upon a controversy. Senior journalist and former member of the Press Club, Biswajit Nath on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Latashil police station in the city alleging that the press club authority had ‘organized a formal audio interview with Paresh Barua, the self-styled military chief of banned militant outfit Ulfa (I) on last Sunday evening.

Nath who lodged the FIR on Tuesday further alleged that the press club had ‘designed to give space to a separatist leader of a banned armed outfit which emerged as a terrorist outfit to threaten the sovereignty and integrity of India. The FIR also named the president and general secretary of Gauhati Press Club (GPC) for organizing the 'virtual' press conference with the chief of a banned outfit.

Read: Assam condemns Ulfa faction's decision to execute abducted oil employees

"GPC president Manoj Nath and general secretary Sanjay Ray were seen (through various news channels' live visuals) on the dais of the club auditorium waiting for the call from Barua with an aim to transfer it to the sound system so that all reporters, who were present on the occasion, could listen and interact subsequently," Nath said in his FIR.

“However, because of the interventions of the city police the program could not be organised and it came to an abrupt end. But it is beyond doubt that the present committee of Gauhati Press Club organized the program and announced it in advance. Notably, Ulfa (I) leader Paresh Barua called them on time accordingly,” said the FIR.

Read: Assam Police stops virtual press conference of Ulfa (I) Chief

Mentionable is that the militant leader was in the media crosshairs for the last few days as the banned organization had abducted two employees of a private oil drilling firm and announced that they would be executed as soon as the 'talks with the private oil company failed'.

Kidnapped from Dayun Khumsai drilling area in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh on 21 December, both of the abducted employees Pranab Kumar Gogoi of Assam and Ram Kumar of Bihar, are still under the custody of the Ulfa faction.

Read: Despite pleas, fate of two oil company staffs hangs in balance