India
Ajmal is a key ally of the mahagatbandhan from the Northeast. When asked a simple question, he chose to reply with abuses, leaving people wondering what will be the stand of the Congress who claims to be the champion of the free press
Guwahati: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief and Lok Sabha MP of Assam’s Dhubri constituency, Badruddin Ajmal on Wednesday verbally abused a journalist during a press conference and threatened to break his head when asked about the upcoming general elections.
The incident happened at Hatsingimari area in Assam’s South Salmara Mankachar district, where the AIUDF had organised a felicitation programme for the party candidates who won in the recent panchayat polls.
According to reports, replying to a question about the party’s stand in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the AIUDF chief said, “We are with Mahagathbandhan in Delhi.”
The journalist then persisted and asked whether AIUDF would change its position after the polls depending on which party won.
To this, Ajmal lost his temper and said, "How many crore will you give? (abuse)... Is it journalism? People like you are demeaning journalism. This man is against us from earlier on."
Ajmal then rained more abuses, snatched the mike of another journalist and tried to hit the scribe who had asked the question.
"He is asking for how much money will I be sold to BJP? His father will be sold. Go from here or else I will break your head. Go and file a case against me...(abuse)... I have my men in court...you will be finished. You have done this earlier also," the leader said.
The AIUDF chief also verbally abused the journalist by terming him as ‘badmaas’ (evil) and ‘kukur’ (dog) and said – He sold and his father might get sold. Get out, go dog. I will smash your head. Go register a case against me. Assault him if he again visits here, thousands of people are there with me”.
An AIUDF leader sitting next to Ajmal then asked the journalist to apologise. The scribe was then heard saying "sorry" and "you have misunderstood me".
The man then bowed his head in front of Ajmal and apologised, to which the AIUDF leader was seen touching his head.
The journalist later said, "People gathered there and I was about to be thrashed. I was forced to apologise and I did it to save my life. I have already filed an FIR.
The journalist also filed a complaint with the police against the Lok Sabha lawmaker.
The AIUDF has faced an electoral debacle in the recently held panchayat elections in the state.
On the other hand, the TV Journalist Association of Assam and the Digital Media Journalists’ Association of Assam (DiMJAA) have strongly condemned Badruddin Ajmal’s act and demanded an unconditional apology from him.
The DiMJAA has also decided to file an FIR against the AIUDF chief.
Ajmal is a key ally of the mahagatbandhan from the Northeast. When asked a simple question, he chose to reply with abuses, leaving people wondering what will be the stand of its ally – the Congress – who claims to be the champion of the free press.
This is not Ajmal’s first tryst with controversy. After the gruesome 2012 Delhi gang-rape case, the AIUDF chief had said that crying ‘gang rape’ has become ‘fashionable’.
He had also claimed that depositing money in banks in exchange of interest is a sin.
It was also alleged that Ajmal was behind the infamous Azad Maidan violence in Mumbai in 2012.
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