Jayanta Mallabaruah's ‘Apology’ Was No Apology — It Was an Attack in Disguise

Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah’s latest statement on social media — widely interpreted as an apology — appears far from a genuine act of contrition. While the minister expressed “regret” over his recent remarks that offended journalists, a closer reading reveals it was more a justification of his words and a veiled counterattack than a sincere apology.

Mallabaruah said, “Though I made that remark aimed at a particular journalist, learning that the entire journalist community felt hurt has pained me deeply. Hence, I humbly request everyone not to misunderstand me.” However, immediately after this, he redirected the spotlight — and his criticism — toward a particular media house and its Editor-in-Chief, Nitumoni Saikia of Pratidin Time, attempting to discredit him using an old video clip.

The minister accused Saikia of being disrespectful to fellow journalists, stating: “To understand how respectful that particular journalist is toward his colleagues, I request everyone to watch the video below in full.” This wasn’t an olive branch. It was a pointed political move — using a clipped video from a past speech in which Saikia critiqued certain unethical trends within television journalism — not all journalists.

The clip in question shows Nitumoni Saikia stating, “Some people who couldn't find employment and lack education suddenly decide to become journalists. There are journalists who use their ID cards like ATM cards. The boom mics have become a Brahmastra of blackmailing... Journalism, without ethics or social responsibility, has turned into extortion in many quarters.”

While this was clearly a commentary on misuse of the profession, not a blanket indictment of journalism, the minister cherry-picked it to paint Saikia — and by extension, Pratidin Time — as unethical. Ironically, he did so under the pretext of extending an apology for his own ethically questionable remarks.

This is not an apology. This is deflection.

If Mallabaruah had genuinely intended to apologise to the journalist community, he would have owned his words and accepted responsibility for the insult caused. Instead, he masked his defensive posturing with a thin veil of remorse, even invoking his father's long association with Dainik Asom in an apparent bid for sympathy.

Worse still, today, on Sunday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma avoided backing or rejecting Baruah’s apology outright. When asked, he said dismissively, “Whatever was said yesterday is a thing of the past. Let’s leave it.” This sidestep from the state's top executive is telling. It indicates a deliberate attempt to move on without accountability.

The pattern is clear: a senior minister uses derogatory language, claims regret only when backlash surfaces, and then turns the moment into an opportunity to settle scores. In this case, the target is a journalist who dared to critique corruption within the media — not journalists at large, but those who exploit the profession for personal gain.

This is a dangerous precedent.

It sends the message that when a politician is criticised by the press, the way forward is not introspection or reform, but retaliation — even under the camouflage of an apology.

The journalist community in Assam has every reason to be outraged. Journalistic ethics, media freedom, and the dignity of public discourse are under attack when apologies are so insincere and calculated. Jayanta Mallabaruah didn’t issue a real apology. He issued a warning. And the press must respond not with silence, but with unity and clarity.

His words were not an end to the controversy — they are, in fact, a new chapter in it.

Also Read: After CM’s Nudge, Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah Issues Public Apology to Media