Reports of Assam put under Protected Area category incorrect, no such order issued: Home Ministry

Ministry of Home Affairs has denied reports that Assam has been put under the Protected Area category in the wake of the situation after the publication of final NRC.

#NewsAlert – No order issued for declaring Assam a protected area. This is incorrect info: MHA sources. pic.twitter.com/I5R6WAZWC2

— News18 (@CNNnews18) September 4, 2019

Today Assam Tribune had reported that Assam has been placed under protected area category by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs following the controversy generated by the National Register of Citizens (NRC). At present several states in North East are in Protected Area or Restricted Area categories, and visitors, including journalists, have to obtain permits before visiting such states.

The report also stated that all foreign journalists working in Assam have been asked to leave the state. It also claimed that a female journalist working with Associated Press (AP) was escorted by the Assam police to the airport and put on a flight to Delhi. The news report was also published by The Quint quoting the Assam Tribune report, which said that now foreign journalists will need permission to report from Assam.

Amidst reprts that GOI has declared Assam a protected area post #NRC and therefore asked foreign journalists to leave , @HMOIndia clarifies, “No such order issued.The info is incorrect.” MEA tells @SiddiquiMaha as per permit rule82 foreign journos were always restricted in all NE

— Arunima (@Arunima24) September 4, 2019

But now the Home Ministry has said that this is fake news, saying no decision to put Assam under protected area category has been taken, and no restrictions on foreign journalists entering Assam has been imposed.

In North East, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland states are declared as Protected Areas, and Indian citizens willing to visit these states need to obtain an Inner Line Permit, while foreign visitors need to obtain a Protected Area Permit, before entering these states.