Guwahati: The Guwahati Crime Branch on Thursday registered a case against journalist and YouTuber Abhisar Sharma for allegedly making ‘objectionable’ comments against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Alok Baruah, the complainant, alleged that Sharma had uploaded a video castigating both the Assam and the Union governments, a senior police officer said as quoted by news agency PTI.
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The FIR, PTI adds invokes Sections 152 (sedition), 196 and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS).
As per the complaint, Sharma uploaded a video on YouTube blaming Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of practising communal politics.
The FIR states, “This article by Mr Sharma accuses CM of Assam of communal politics and promoting enmity between communal groups,” the complainant said, while raising objections to “statements like government survives by Hindu-Muslim polarisation, it provokes communal sentiments,” the complainant alleged.
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“Perusal of the article published/circulated by Abhisar Sharma the accused clearly reveals that it contained statements ridiculing and denigrating the duly elected Governments of Assam and the Union of India, thereby, endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India,” the complaint mentioned in the FIR states.
“The accused mocked ridiculed the principle of Ram Rajya, and openly accused the Chief Minister of Assam of communal politics, thereby attempting to create distrust and hatred against the government established by law and promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, prejudicial to maintenance of harmony,” the FIR adds.
Baruah in the FIR also said, ““The article published/circulated by the accused Abhisar Sharma is not mere criticism but amounts to an attempt to excite disaffection, provoke public disorder, and endanger the unity and integrity of India by portraying the State as corrupt, communal, and illegitimate, thereby, committed the offence punishable u/s Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS).”