Assam Journalist Attacked While Covering Panchayat Elections in Dhemaji
A journalist was seriously injured after being attacked by a mob while covering panchayat election developments in Assam’s Dhemaji district. Madhurjya Saikia, a reporter with an Assamese news channel, was assaulted by over 25 people. A police probe is underway; local outfit denies involvement.
NETB24
Guwahati 05 July 2025
In a disturbing incident highlighting growing threats to media personnel, an Assamese journalist was brutally assaulted while reporting on panchayat election-related developments in Assam’s Dhemaji district. The journalist, Madhurjya Saikia, associated with a local Assamese news channel, was attacked on Friday by a mob of over 25 individuals wielding sticks at Dimow Pathar.
According to Saikia's complaint filed at the Silapathar police station, the attack was allegedly orchestrated by leaders of a local outfit. The journalist, who sustained severe injuries, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dibrugarh. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter.
Responding to the incident, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the attack and emphasized that it was the police’s responsibility to identify and apprehend the culprits. Expressing concern over the safety of journalists in the state, Sarma also pointed to a lack of solidarity among members of the media fraternity. “There is no unity among you all. You have become like us — BJP, Congress, AGP, and UPPL. In fact, there is more unity among us,” he said while addressing reporters in Baksa.
Meanwhile, the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), a prominent Mising students' organisation, has strongly denied involvement in the incident. TMPK president Tilak Doley, in a Facebook post, stated that neither he nor any member of his group was involved in the attack. He reaffirmed the organisation’s respect for the press and expressed dismay over being implicated.
The incident has drawn sharp reactions from various quarters, reigniting debates around journalist safety and press freedom in conflict-sensitive and politically charged environments.
This is the second such attack on journalists in Assam within a week. On June 29, local TV journalist Bimaljyoti Nath and a colleague were allegedly assaulted in Dhekiajuli while returning from a report on illegal mining.
Edit By Choba Tripura
