Assam Police Initiates Legal Action Against Journalist for Allegations of Communal Politics

Legal Action Against Journalist

On Thursday, the Assam Police lodged a first information report (FIR) against journalist and YouTuber Abhisar Sharma, who accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of engaging in communal politics.

The Guwahati Crime Branch has initiated the case against Sharma under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which address actions that threaten national unity and sovereignty, incite hostility among groups, and make statements detrimental to national integration.

This legal action was prompted by a complaint from Alok Baruah, a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student organization affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is the ideological foundation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Baruah has been photographed with several state ministers, including Jayanta Malla Baruah and Pijush Hazarika, as well as with the state BJP president, Dilip Saikia.

In his complaint, Baruah accused Sharma of mocking and disparaging both the Union and Assam governments, thereby jeopardizing national sovereignty. He claimed that Sharma openly criticized the principle of Ram Rajya and accused the chief minister of engaging in communal politics.

Baruah further alleged that Sharma made unfounded claims that Sarma's political actions were solely based on Hindu-Muslim polarization. He asserted that the journalist's comments aimed to incite unrest by depicting the state as corrupt, communal, and illegitimate.

A senior officer from the Guwahati Police stated that the case was filed because Sharma was allegedly speaking against the nation and its sovereignty.

Attempts to reach Baruah for comments on the case were made, and updates will follow if he responds.

In his video, Sharma accused the Assam chief minister of fostering religious hatred to distract the public from pressing issues, alleging that Sarma was conducting a 'propaganda campaign' against Muslims and madrasas.

This case against Sharma follows a recent incident where the Crime Branch in Guwahati issued a summons to the founding editor of a news outlet regarding an article on Operation Sindoor.

On the same day, the Supreme Court granted protection from arrest to the editor and members of the foundation behind the news outlet in another FIR filed by the Assam Police.

The news outlet also received summons for another journalist, indicating ongoing scrutiny of media personnel in the region.