Foreign journalists can visit Assam: MHA

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday said that any foreign journalist, whether based in India or not, can visit Assam after taking permission of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

An official aware of the development said that the Home Ministry is consulted internally by the MEA before issuing such permission. 

"There is no PAP (Protected Area Permit) or RAP (Restricted Area Permit) in the state of Assam. Thus no PAP or RAP is needed by a foreign journalist," he said. 

The Home Ministry's reaction came following a news report mentioning that "all foreign journalists working in Assam have been asked to leave the state". 

Home Ministry spokesperson Vasudha Gupta through a tweet denied the report.

"The information (all foreign journalists working in Assam have been asked to leave the state) is misleading and incorrect. Neither MHA nor MEA has given any such information," Gupta tweeted. 

She further said that "the responsibility of publication of such information, and consequences thereof, lie entirely with the media house concerned".