Supreme Court to Hear Journalist’s Plea Tomorrow

The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea by journalist and YouTuber Abhisar Sharma on Thursday, challenging an FIR filed by Assam Police over a video allegedly criticizing state policies. The bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh will examine Sharma’s petition, filed through advocate Sumeer Sodhi, which also questions the validity of Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), a law addressing acts endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity.

The FIR, lodged at Guwahati’s Crime Branch on August 21, stems from a complaint by Alok Baruah, a 23-year-old linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Baruah claims Sharma’s August 8 YouTube video incited communal tension by accusing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of “communal politics” and mocking the concept of Ram Rajya. The video referenced a Gauhati High Court case questioning the allocation of 3,000 bighas of tribal land in Dima Hasao to Mahabal Cements for mining, alleging favoritism toward the Adani Group.

Sharma, defending his video, stated it relied on the judge’s remarks and factual evidence of Sarma’s statements. He called the FIR “baseless” and vowed a legal response, sharing the video link on X. The FIR invokes BNS Sections 152 (akin to sedition), 196 (promoting enmity between groups), and 197 (prejudicial to national integration), alleging the video could disrupt public peace.

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This case follows similar actions against journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar, who received interim arrest protection from the Supreme Court in a related FIR under Section 152. The Press Club of India condemned the FIR as an “attack on press freedom,” urging its withdrawal.

The hearing comes amid growing scrutiny of Section 152 BNS, criticized as a rebranded sedition law. Sharma’s challenge could set a precedent for press freedom and the limits of critiquing government actions. Police investigations continue, with concerns raised about the video’s local impact on communal harmony.

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