Guwahati: Journalist Abhisar Sharma has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Assam Police FIR Over Video Against the state government and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, reports Live Law. in.
According to Sharma, the FIR was registered after he released a video slamming the Assam government’s politics of communalism,
He also quizzed the allotment of 3000 bighas of land to a private firm.
The matter will be heard on August 28 by a bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh.
The Guwahati Crime Branch last Thursday had registered a case against the journalist and YouTuber 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.
The FIR, PTI adds invokes Sections 152 (sedition), 196 and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS).
Also Read: Press Club of India demands withdrawal of FIR against journalist Abhisar Sharma
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.
“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.
The Press Club of India (PCI) on Friday had urged Assam Police to withdraw an FIR filed against journalist Abhisar Sharma, calling the action “an attack on press freedom.”