In a significant development in Bihar's Begusarai district, an FIR has been filed against senior independent journalist Ajit Anjum for allegedly spreading misinformation through his reporting on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. The FIR, lodged on July 13, 2025, at the Balia police station, has sparked widespread controversy, with many viewing it as an attempt to suppress journalistic efforts to highlight irregularities in the voter registration process ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. This incident raises critical questions about press freedom, electoral transparency, and the role of journalists in holding authorities accountable.
Background: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the SIR on June 24, 2025, to overhaul Bihar's electoral rolls, citing issues such as migration, urbanization, unreported deaths, and the inclusion of ineligible voters, including suspected illegal immigrants. The exercise, the first of its kind since 2003, requires approximately 29.3 million voters added after 2003 to submit one of 11 specified documents to prove their eligibility by July 25, 2025. The draft electoral roll is set to be published on August 1, with the final list due on September 30, 2025, ahead of the state elections later this year.
The SIR has been contentious from the outset, with opposition parties, civil society, and activists alleging that the stringent documentation requirements could disenfranchise millions, particularly marginalized groups such as the poor, migrants, and minorities. Critics, including the Congress and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), have labeled the exercise a "backdoor" attempt to implement a National Register of Citizens (NRC), potentially targeting vulnerable communities. The Supreme Court, while allowing the SIR to proceed, has raised concerns about its timing, documentation demands, and potential to exclude legitimate voters, especially migrants and those without access to the required paperwork.
Ajit Anjum's Reporting and the FIR
Ajit Anjum, a seasoned journalist with roots in Begusarai, has been running a YouTube series investigating the SIR process in Bihar. On July 12, 2025, he published a 45-minute video on his YouTube channel, focusing on alleged irregularities in the voter registration process in the Sahebpur Kamal assembly constituency of the Balia block. The video, described as a ground report, highlighted issues such as the filling and uploading of voter forms without proper documentation or photographs, raising questions about the transparency and integrity of the SIR process.
The FIR against Anjum was filed based on a complaint by Mohammad Ansarulhaq, a booth-level officer (BLO) in the Sahebpur Kamal segment. The complainant alleged that Anjum and his team approached him while he was uploading data via the BLO app and questioned him about Muslim voters in the area. According to the complaint, Anjum's questions were aimed at creating a false impression that Muslim voters were being harassed, which the BLO deemed "absolutely false" and likely to disturb communal harmony. The FIR invokes sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita and the Representation of the People Act, accusing Anjum of spreading communal tensions.
Anjum's Response: A Fight for Truth
Ajit Anjum has vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that his reporting was factual and aimed at exposing systemic flaws in the SIR process. In a series of posts on X, he challenged the Election Commission to conduct a "fact-check" of his video and point out any inaccuracies. He claimed that a Muslim BLO was being used as a "scapegoat" to target him and that the FIR was an attempt to intimidate him for raising legitimate questions about the voter registration process.
In one post, Anjum stated, "An FIR has been filed against me in Begusarai by pressuring a BLO. Watch the video and decide for yourself if I said anything to that Muslim BLO that could possibly disturb communal harmony. When they couldn't find anything else, they chose this route. A Muslim BLO is being used as a scapegoat against me. Instead of answering the questions raised in the video, the administration is resorting to intimidation. Let me just say this – I am still in Begusarai. And if needed, I will take this fight all the way to the Supreme Court. I will not be afraid."
Anjum further alleged that local officials, including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Block Development Officer (BDO), had attempted to prevent him from publishing the video, suggesting a coordinated effort to suppress his reporting. He described the FIR as a "certificate" of his journalistic integrity, emphasizing that his work was meant to hold the ECI accountable for its handling of the SIR.
Public and Political Reactions
The FIR has triggered significant outrage among civil society and opposition groups. The Nagrik Samvad Samiti, a civil society organization, condemned the legal action as an attack on democracy, calling it a "murder of democratic principles." Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and CPI (ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, have criticized the SIR process itself, arguing that it risks disenfranchising millions due to its short timeline and stringent documentation requirements. The Supreme Court, while hearing petitions challenging the SIR, has questioned the ECI's authority to verify citizenship—a responsibility typically under the Ministry of Home Affairs—and suggested that documents like Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards be considered for voter verification to prevent exclusion.
On X, sentiments are mixed. While Anjum's supporters have rallied behind him, accusing the authorities of targeting him for exposing the truth, others, such as the account @Indian_Analyzer, have claimed that Anjum illegally entered a voter booth and filmed sensitive electoral documents without permission, pushing a "false communal narrative." These claims remain unverified and highlight the polarized nature of the discourse surrounding the issue.
Broader Implications: Press Freedom and Electoral Integrity
The FIR against Ajit Anjum raises serious concerns about press freedom in India, particularly in the context of reporting on sensitive issues like electoral processes. Journalists play a crucial role in ensuring transparency and accountability, and legal actions like this can have a chilling effect on investigative journalism. The timing of the FIR, just weeks before the publication of the draft electoral roll, suggests an attempt to deflect attention from the questions raised by Anjum's reporting.
Moreover, the SIR process itself has come under scrutiny for its potential to disenfranchise vulnerable populations. Bihar, one of India's poorest states, faces significant challenges due to low document ownership, high migration, and historical gaps in record-keeping. The requirement to submit specific documents, such as birth certificates or land ownership papers, is particularly burdensome for rural, marginalized, and migrant communities. The ECI's decision to exclude Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards from the initial list of acceptable documents has further fueled suspicions that the exercise may disproportionately affect certain groups, including Muslims, Dalits, and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs).
The Supreme Court's ongoing review of the SIR process, coupled with public and political pressure, has led to some concessions, such as allowing voters to submit documents after initial form submission and considering Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration cards as valid proof. However, these measures may not fully address the concerns raised by Anjum and others about the fairness and transparency of the process.
The FIR against Ajit Anjum underscores the tensions between journalistic freedom and state authority in India's democratic framework. By highlighting alleged irregularities in the SIR process, Anjum has brought attention to critical issues that could affect the integrity of Bihar's upcoming elections. His defiance in the face of legal action, coupled with his commitment to pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court, reflects the resilience of independent journalism in challenging times.
As the SIR process continues, the ECI must address the concerns raised by journalists, activists, and opposition parties to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded due to procedural hurdles. The controversy surrounding Anjum's case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting press freedom and ensuring electoral transparency to uphold the democratic process in India. The nation watches closely as this battle for truth and accountability unfolds in Bihar.
