Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issued a clarification on Sunday after several media organisations slammed him for questioning a journalist’s religious identity and allegedly targeting him.
On August 21, during a media interaction in Guwahati, a reporter who goes by the name of Shah Alam questioned the Chief Minister about alleged hill-cutting at Mandakata, which falls in his Jalukbari constituency.
CM Sarma asked the reporter's name and associated him with the Muslim owner of the private university which he had earlier accused of indulging in "flood jihad" by cutting hills in nearby Meghalaya leading to flash floods in Guwahati.
Following the interaction, the Journalist Union of Assam (JUA) issued a statement on Thursday slamming Sarma for the personal attack on Alam based on his religion.
Now, Sarma tried to clear his stance saying journalists are asked their name first before asking a question in Delhi and that he is a "bit generous" to not do so.
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"If my name is Shah Jalal, I should say Shah Jalal...what's wrong with that," Sarma, adding: "Why bring it to the press club, he is saying his own name, not any other name. What's wrong with saying your name."
He further said: "In Delhi, In Delhi, all journalists are asked their names BJP at the beginning of the question."
"I am a bit generous that's why I don't ask the name," he said.