India, June 29 -- Assam minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on Sunday issued an apology for his controversial remark against a Guwahati-based journalist on Friday that had sparked widespread backlash.

Baruah, who handles the public health engineering department, took to social media to apologise, maintaining that his words were not meant to insult the media at large. "Our family's association with the media are very old. My father worked as a correspondent for 22 years with Dainik Asom. From childhood, I have had deep respect for journalists," he wrote.

"In a moment of frustration, I said something I should not have. While I meant it for one individual, I understand the entire journalist community felt hurt - and that pains me," he added.

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