Press Club of India Slams FIR Against Journalist Ajit Anjum Over Voter Roll Report in Bihar

The Press Club of India has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the lodging of an FIR against senior journalist Ajit Anjum, calling the move a “serious question about freedom of the press and the mounting challenges to free expression in a democratic set-up.” 

The FIR, filed in Bihar’s Begusarai district, accuses Anjum of interfering with the voter roll revision process and attempting to provoke communal discord — a charge the journalist and his supporters say is both unfounded and alarming.

Image Source: Dr NimoYadav on X

The statement, endorsed by both the Press Club and the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC), asserts that Anjum’s reporting on irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was squarely within the bounds of journalistic duty. 

“Reporting facts is the foremost duty of any journalist,” the statement said, adding that raising concerns over forms allegedly submitted without valid documents or photographs cannot be construed as misinformation.

Anjum, who runs a YouTube-based news channel, had reported discrepancies in enumeration forms during his visit to a BLO (Booth Level Officer) center in Ballia on July 12. 

His footage and observations — showing incomplete or unsigned forms — prompted sharp online debate over voter roll integrity. 

A day later, a complaint was filed by the local BLO, alleging that Anjum entered the premises without authorization, obstructed official work, and focused disproportionately on the number of Muslim voters — thereby “spreading communal tension.”

The FIR cites multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal trespass, disobedience of lawful orders, and attempts to hurt religious sentiments. It also invokes provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The Press Club minced no words in denouncing the move. “Instead of issuing clarification, the administration chose legal intimidation,” it said. 

The body further called on authorities to ensure that “due process is followed and that the rights of Mr. Anjum as a journalist and a citizen are fully protected.”

Anjum, for his part, stood by his reporting, calling the FIR “an attempt to shoot the messenger.” “If asking questions about the Election Commission’s own rules is a crime, then every journalist is guilty,” he said.

The Press Club’s intervention signals growing unease in media and civil society circles over the increasing criminalization of investigative reporting, especially when it touches on sensitive subjects like elections, religion, or government functioning.

For a democracy that claims to champion press freedom, the question is simply that when institutions meant to serve transparency turn hostile toward those who demand it, who really undermines public trust — the reporter or the system?