ULFA renews month's deadline for NETv

Guwahati, Feb 4 (UNI) The banned ULFA has renewed its warning to the North East Television (NETv) to prove its report that the outfit had accepted money to withdraw the National Games boycott call within a month or else pack its bags.

In a telephonic statement to a local vernacular daily here yesterday, ULFA 'c-in-c' Paresh Barua reiterated the outfit's deadline of a month to the media house to substantiate its report that ULFA had struck a secret deal with the Asom government for Rs five crore to call off the boycott.

The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) had issued a statement against the channel last week, demanding concrete evidence of the alleged pact with the government. The lone satellite channel of the region, NETv, had telecast a news report of the 'government buying peace' with ULFA.

The state government had also indicated of filing a defamation lawsuit against the television channel, owned by Ms Manoranjana Singh, CMD of (NETV) and wife of a former Congress MP Matang Singh.

In the latest statement, the ULFA 'c-in-c' alleged that the NETv was indulging in yellow journalism and trying to create divide between the various ethnic groups of the state through its provocative and false news reports.

He said, ''The NETv has to prove the basis of its report (of ULFA accepting money from the government) within a month, else it will have to leave the state.'' He alleged that Mrs Singh was using the television channel to earn money, adding the section of media which had been vocal in condemning the warning to NETv also clarify whether they were in favour of NETv or stood with true journalism.

ULFA had the greatest respect for honest journalists and would never come in the way of such sincere journalists, the chief added.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's statement that a defamation case would be filed against the channel drew strong response from the CMD who, in a press meet at New Delhi, had charged the state government with working in connivance with ULFA and hurled abuses on Mr Gogoi.

UNI