An FIR was lodged by the Guwahati Crime Branch on the basis of a complaint filed by Alok Baruah, a member of the ABVP
NEW DELHI — Senior journalist Abhisar Sharma has been booked by Assam Police over his alleged criticism of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for “promoting communal politics.” The move has triggered sharp reactions in media circles who termed it as an attack on press freedom.
The FIR was lodged by the Guwahati Crime Branch on the basis of a complaint filed by Alok Baruah, a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
According to the complaint, Sharma, in a video, “ridiculed the principle of Ram Rajya, denigrated the Union and Assam governments, and openly accused the chief minister of communal politics,” thereby endangering “national sovereignty.”
According to reports, the FIR was registered against Sharma under sections related to promoting enmity and disturbing public order, following his social media remarks and a recent video commentary in which he accused the Assam chief minister of dividing communities on religious lines.
Police said the complaint alleged his statements could “create disharmony” and amounted to “spreading misinformation.”
The complainant claimed that the offences committed by Sharma are punishable under Sections 152 (which replaced the repealed sedition law and criminalises acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), 196 (offence of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste, or community) and 197 (dealing with imputations and assertions that are prejudicial to national integration) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), reports PTI.
Sharma, a former television anchor and independent digital journalist, reportedly defended his remarks, saying he was merely exercising his democratic right to critique those in power. “Targeting journalists for questioning communal politics is unacceptable. My job is to speak truth to power,” he said in a statement posted online.
This is not the first time Abhisar Sharma, known for his outspoken criticism of the BJP and its leaders, has faced legal challenges. He has previously being targeted through trolling, online abuse, and defamation threats.
The action against Sharma comes days after the Assam Police summoned Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire under multiple sections, including section 152. The FIRs against Sharma, Varadarajan and Thapar have been filed at the Crime Branch police station in Guwahati.
