Withdraw FIR against Abhisar Sharma: Press Club

The Press Club of India (PCI) on Friday (August 22, 2025) demanded withdrawal of an FIR lodged by Assam Police against journalist Abhisar Sharma. The police have accused Mr. Sharma of making remarks with “mala fide intent to disrepute elected governments”, provoking communal sentiments and threatening national integrity.

“The FIR has invoked the draconian Section 152 (sedition), along with Sections 196 (promoting enmity and disharmony) and 197 (imputations against national integration) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Supreme Court has recently granted interim protection from arrest to online news portal -The Wire’s Founding Editor Siddharth Varadarajan and Consulting Editor Karan Thapar in an FIR registered by the same Assam police under section 152 of the BNS,” the PCI said.

The PCI accused the Assam Police of turning “a blind eye in not taking cognisance of what the apex court has directed in a similar case pertaining to The Wire editors”.

“This action on the part of Assam Police smacks of intolerance and scant respect to the press freedom. In another instance earlier this month, YouTube arbitrarily took down a channel run by senior journalist and Editors Guild of India’s secretary Ruben Banerjee without any prior notice. This Odia language channel, named ‘Mu Ruben Kahuchhi (I am Ruben speaking)‘ has been dealing with issues concerning social welfare of the people, self-help groups of women and national and state politics, since its inception in 2024,” said the PCI.

“Out of the blue, Banerjee received an electronic communication from YouTube stating that his channel was being removed on grounds of alleged violation of the social media platform’s ‘circumvention policy’. This action of removal of the channel was taken without any prior intimation, notice or warning,” it said.

“Both the cases of Sharma and Banerjee, who during their long journalistic careers have held senior positions in prestigious publications and TV channels, are part of a series of arbitrary actions against other journalists and media organisations. These actions by the Assam Police or YouTube are clear cases of intolerance and an attack on the freedom of speech and expression,” said the club.