New Delhi - Opposition leaders, journalists, and activists have united in solidarity with veteran journalist Abhisar Sharma, denouncing a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Guwahati Crime Branch on August 21, as an assault on press freedom.

Press bodies and opposition leaders sharply criticized the case. Digipub News India Foundation, an association of independent digital outlets, said the police were being “increasingly weaponized to silence dissent”. Calling the move an attack on press freedom, it demanded that the FIR be quashed and that repressive laws such as sedition not be misused.

The FIR, accusing Sharma of sedition and promoting communal enmity over a YouTube video, has drawn sharp criticism, with Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate calling Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma a “coward” and tribal activist V R Bheel labeling the case a tactic to silence exposés on tribal land grabs.

In his x post Sharma said, " The FIR filed against me by Assam police is completely baseless. It will be responded to legally! In my show, I had mentioned the statement of an Assam judge, where he referred to the Assam government giving 3,000 bighas of land to Mahabal Cement and had criticized it. I had also highlighted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s communal politics with facts — based on his own statements."

3000 Bigha Tribal Land Questioned, So FIR! The Video That Sparked the Controversy

Abhisar Sharma, a two-time Ramnath Goenka award winner (2008 and 2018) and 2017 Red Ink Award recipient, is a seasoned journalist known for his investigative work. Previously with ABP News and NDTV, he now runs a YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Sharma faced scrutiny in 2023 during NewsClick raids over allegations of receiving foreign funds for propaganda, which he denies.

The FIR targets a video “When the judge reprimanded the BJP government! Why thousands of acres of land to Adani?.” In it, Sharma highlighted Guwahati High Court Justice Sandeep Mehta’s remarks during a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Assam government’s allocation of approximately 3,000 bighas (around 1,000 acres) of tribal land in Dima Hasao to Mahabal Cement Company for limestone mining. Justice Mehta questioned the “free” handout to private entities, raising concerns about transparency and tribal rights under the Sixth Schedule. Sharma accused CM Sarma of “communal politics,” citing Sarma’s statements on religious demographics and land policies.

The issue stems from a 2024 notification permitting Mahabal Cement, reportedly linked to corporate giants, to mine in Umrangso, prompting protests from tribal groups and environmentalists over violations of constitutional protections.

Who filed the FIR

The FIR, filed after a complaint by Alok Baruah, a 23-year-old reportedly tied to the ABVP (RSS’s student wing), invokes:

• Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Acts endangering India’s sovereignty and unity (sedition equivalent).

• Section 196: Promoting enmity between groups on religious or racial grounds.

• Section 197: Circulating statements prejudicial to national integration.

Baruah claimed Sharma’s video ridiculed the Assam and Union governments, accusing Sarma of communal politics with intent to incite unrest.

This follows similar FIRs against journalists like Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar for critiquing Assam’s policies. On August 22, the Supreme Court stayed coercive actions against them, signaling concerns over sedition law misuse.

Pro-government voices defend the FIR, citing Sharma’s 2023 NewsClick involvement, where he faced allegations of receiving Chinese funds. Outlets like OpIndia frame the FIR as targeting incitement, not journalism. Social media posts have called Sharma a “propagandist,” with one user taunting, “Hello Abhisar Sharma, aa gya swaad?”

Laughable and Sad: Social Media Erupts

Supriya Shrinate’s post, “No one is scared of you!” targeted Sarma. Surya Pratap Singh wrote, “3000 bigha tribal land allotment questioned, so FIR on Abhisar Sharma! Clear message—don’t open your mouth.”

Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani's post read, " Led by CM Himanta, BJP's Assam govt uses sedition to crush free speech, polarize Hindus-Muslims, and hide corruption. They jailed me for days to please Modi Shah and now target Abhisar. We won't bow to this tyranny!"

Journalist Ashok Kumar Pandey urged opposition unity, while V R Bheel highlighted tribal land grabs. Historian S Irfan Habib called the FIR “laughable and sad,” and Meena Kotwal questioned its factual basis. The Wire Editor Arfa Khanum Sherwani expressed solidarity with Abhisar.

Bolta Hindustan Journalist Samar Raj asked satirically, " Abhisaar made this episode, so an FIR has been filed against him. The judge has raised the same issue, so is a case of 'sedition' being prepared against him as well? Hemanta, you tell me - should an FIR be filed against the judge or not?"

Social Media Influencer Ranting Gola wrote, " First come the scared people; then come the cowardly people; then come the wimps; then comes this government!"

Hashtags like #Abhisar, #StandWithAbhisar and #PressFreedom trended with over 10,000 mentions.