Assam minister apologises for controversial remark
Assam's Public Health Engineering Minister, Jayanta Malla Baruah, landed in controversy after allegedly calling a journalist a "lower-class person" at an event in Guwahati.
The comment quickly drew criticism from media groups, prompting Baruah to apologize on social media and say he never meant to offend anyone.
Minister's explanation and media bodies' response
Baruah explained that he respects journalists because of his family's ties to the profession and said he was sorry if his words were misunderstood.
Media bodies demanded a public apology and even suggested boycotting him, while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also apologized for the incident.
Meanwhile, another minister defended Baruah, saying the phrase was about the journalist's experience—not social status—and urged people to watch the full video for context.