Post-NRC, entry of foreign journalists not allowed in Assam, MHA denies this claim

September 4: As per a report in the Assam Tribune, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the backdrop of controversy erupted by  the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam has now been placed under protected area category.

The MEA & MHA has asked all foreign journalists working in Assam to leave the State as some foreign media houses have been widely critical of the NRC exercise in Assam. Assam Tribune reported that 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.

As of now,  foreign media were barred from entering only Jammu and Kashmir and a few hills states of the Northeast on reporting assignments. But now, if this report is to be based upon, then Assam has also been added in the protected area list along with other northeastern states.

Any foreign journalist,whether already based in India or not, can visit Assam after taking permission of MEA

MHA is consulted internally by MEA before issuing this permission. There is no PAP or RAP area in the state of Assam. Thus no PAP or RAP is needed by a foreign journalist

— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) September 4, 2019

But any foreign journalist,whether already based in India or not, can visit Assam after taking permission of MEA. MHA is consulted internally by MEA before issuing this permission.

The information provided in this article is misleading and incorrect. Neither MHA nor MEA has given any information as mentioned.

The responsibility of publication of such information, and consequences thereof, lie entirely with the media house concernedhttps://t.co/2xQzOl9w7h

— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) September 4, 2019

Meanwhile, taking to twitter, Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs quoting the link of the piece of Assam Tribune wrote, “The information provided in this article is misleading and incorrect. Neither MHA nor MEA has given any information as mentioned. The responsibility of publication of such information, and consequences thereof, lie entirely with the media house concerned.”

The final NRC list of Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on 31 August, 2019. Out of a total number of 3,30,27,661 applicants, the names of 3,11,21,004 were included in the final NRC. That means a total of 19,06,657 persons were excluded from the NRC.