Imphal: The All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) has strongly condemned a state government office memorandum that prevent officials from talking to media personnel without government approval.

AMWJU spokesman on November 19 said that the union in an emergency meeting on November 18 viewed the office memorandum as infringement on the right to information of the public and urged the government to withdraw it immediately.

State chief secretary A P Sharma had issued an office memorandum on November 11 directing all the officers of the state government not to entertain any queries from the journalists. The memorandum also ask the officers from speaking to any media personnel without prior approval of the minister in charge of the department concerned or the Chief Minister, official sources said.

The AMWJU spokesman said that the government's office memorandum was an attempt to "muzzle" the press and added that the union felt that the ruling Secular Progressive Front Ministry was all out to conceal its 'mis-governance and mistakes' by throttling the media.

He said that the Union would boycott all government function with immediate effect if the government failed to withdraw the November 11 office memorandum.

PTI