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FIR against senior journalist Ajit Anjum for reporting on Bihar's voter list process

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The Bihar police have lodged an FIR against senior journalist turned YouTuber Ajit Anjum over allegations that he and his team forcibly entered a booth auditorium, interfered in the electoral roll revision process and tried to create a communal environment.

Journalist Ajit Anjum has been booked based on a complaint by a Booth Level Officer (BLO), Mohammed Ansarul Haque, who works at the booth auditorium in Sahibpur Kamal Assembly constituency.

According to Haque, the incident occurred on July 12. Anjum and his entered the auditorium without permission and started questioning the booth officer, specifically on the number of Muslim voters enrolled.

“His focus was on suggesting that Muslim voters were being harassed, which is completely false. They disrupted my work for over an hour and prevented me from completing the uploading of forms,” the booth officer stated in his police complaint.

Anjum has been extensively reporting on the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, which the Election Commission insists will ensure all the names of eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll to enable them to exercise their franchise.

The previous day, the election commission released an updated voter list, revealing over 35 lakh names are set to be excluded from the electoral roll. It also informed that over 6.60 crore out of the total 7.89 crore electors of Bihar (88.18 percent) will be included in the electoral roll.

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Over 35 lakh names to be removed from revised Bihar voter list: EC

On July 12, Anjum regarding the special intensive revision in Balia and claimed that many voter forms were being filled and uploaded without the EC’s required documents or photographs.

However, Balia’s district administration dismissed Anjum’s reportage and called the report “misleading.”

No FIR copy received, says journalist

Meanwhile, Anjum took to X, saying he has not received the FIR copy. “I am getting information about an FIR being filed against me in Begusarai, Bihar. I have not received a copy of the FIR. I am waiting,” he said.

“Two days ago, I reported irregularities in the forms being filled for ‘SIR’ in Ballia block. I was called by the local BDO and SDO, asking me to delete the video. I did not listen to them. The result is evident,” he said.

“There are a hundred questions about the Election Commission’s methods in Bihar. Instead of answering those questions, efforts have now begun to intimidate journalists. In this video, I have presented my side. I will not be scared. I will show only the truth. I will report on the shortcomings,” he added.

Digipub condemns FIR against journalist

Meanwhile, the Digipub News India Foundation strongly condemned the FIR filed against journalist Ajit Anjum, calling it a “direct assault on independent journalism.”

In an official statement, the organisation said: “DIGIPUB News India Foundation strongly condemns the FIR filed against independent senior journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum in Begusarai, Bihar, and demands its immediate withdrawal.”

“This FIR is not just an attack on an individual journalist-it is a direct assault on independent journalism and the public’s right to know the truth. While reporting from the ground on the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process in Begusarai, Ajit Anjum highlighted exactly what the people on the ground shared with him. According to him, he was trying to bring out the facts related to SIR. However, this honest effort appears to have displeased the govement and administration,” the statement read.

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