Ajit Anjum | SabrangIndia News Related to Human Rights Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:58:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://sabrangindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Favicon_0.png Ajit Anjum | SabrangIndia 32 32 DUJ stands by journalist Ajit Anjum after Bihar government lodges an FIR against him for ground reportage on ECI’s SIR process https://sabrangindia.in/duj-stands-by-journalist-ajit-anjum-after-bihar-government-lodges-an-fir-against-him-for-ground-reportage-on-ecis-sir-process/ Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:58:31 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=42840 The DUJ has expressed strong condemnation of the FIR lodged against senior journalist, Ajit Anjum in Begusarai

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]]> The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has expressed its ‘shock’ at the lodging of an FIR against veteran journalist Ajit Anjum in Begusarai.  The FIR lodged in the name of a block official is, says a statement issued by the union, “a crude attempt at curbing coverage of the Election Commission’s arbitrary handling of an intensive survey and revision of the electoral rolls of Bihar.” Signatories to the DUJ statement include Sujata Madhok, president, SK Pande, vice president and AM Jigeesh, general secretary.

Anjum’s recent YouTube series since Sunday, July 13, containing detailed ground reports from the interiors of Bihar suggested that in some blocks electoral forms were being accepted without photographs and documents or that forms in duplicate were not being supplies by the ECI to voters.

The ongoing ‘special revision’ of the electoral roll has come in for widespread criticism because of the ECI’s self-assumed “demand” that people prove their right to vote and, by implication, their right to citizenship by providing documents which the majority do not possess. The short timeline given for the entire exercise –given that the state assembly elections are due in a few months–is bound to lead to administrative irregularities, something that both journalists like Anjum and some newspapers have exposed through their reportage.

The DUJ statement says that “the fact is that the Bihar government has not cared to issue birth certificates to most of its citizens, few people have caste certificates or domicile documents, the majority do not own property or have documents to prove ownership of land, many are denied schooling and migration is the major survival strategy.” In these circumstances people anxious to stay on the electoral roll are providing whatever they possess. The Election Commission initially refused to accept the basic documents that the majority do have: Aadhar cards and voter identity cards.  It was only after the Supreme Court hearing last week on July 10, that the ECI was compelled to now accept the Aadhar card, or EPIC card or Ration Card. Receipts are not always being provided. The haste of the exercise means that many voters in all likelihood, be denied voting rights.

The DUJ statement asserts that it is evident that (ECI) officials were rattled by the reports of irregularities in the entire process and have, therefore resorted to the FIR against Anjum to deter other journalists from similar coverage. The statement ends by stating that the DUJ “salutes” Ajit Anjum for his bold reporting and demands that the FIR for criminal trespass, obstructing a public servant on duty and other grounds be immediately withdrawn and journalists be permitted to report freely from the state.

 

Related:

Bihar:  SC signals that ECI should consider Aadhaar, EPIC (Voter ID card) & Ration card for electoral roll revision 

Bihar:  SC signals that ECI should consider Aadhaar, EPIC (Voter ID card) & Ration card for electoral roll revision 

SC: ECI’s ‘wisdom’ on revision of electoral rolls challenged, does a disenfranchisement crisis loom over Bihar, with thousands being declared ‘‘D’ (doubtful) voters?

Bihar: Sinister move by ECI as ‘intensive’ revision of electoral roles set to exclude vast majority of legitimate voters

Bihar 2025 Election: EC drops parental birth document requirement for 4.96 crore electors and their children in Bihar

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]]> Journalist Ajit Anjum booked for exposing Bihar’s SIR flaws https://sabrangindia.in/journalist-ajit-anjum-booked-for-exposing-bihars-sir-flaws/ Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:21:23 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=42820 Senior journalist Ajit Anjum faces FIR in Balia, Bihar for exposing alleged voter list irregularities, he calls the FIR "a certificate for me as a journalist," vowing to continue reporting despite perceived intimidation tactics, Anjum said “I will not be scared. I will show only the truth”

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]]> On July 13, 2025, a First Information Report (FIR) has registered against senior journalist Ajit Anjum and two associates, including his cameraman, at the Balia Police Station in Begusarai, Bihar. The complaint was filed by BLO Asarulhaq (Booth No. 16, 145) of Sahebpur Kamal Vidhan Sabha constituency. The core of the complaint, filed on July 12, 2025, alleges that Anjum obstructed government work and spread communal animosity. The FIR has registered under sections 223, 329(c), 132, 196, 302, 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and section 123(3A) of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.

According to BLO Asarulhaq, at approximately 9:30 AM, while he was uploading enumeration forms from the BLO App in the Gharakhand meeting hall, Ajit Anjum and his team “without authorisation entered the hall and began questioning me.” Anjum’s questions included inquiries about voter numbers, form distribution and collection, the number of Muslim voters, and the submission of paper forms.

The BLO stated he informed Anjum that his booth had 1020 voters and that all forms had been distributed and received. However, he further alleged that Anjum’s “focus was on claiming that Muslim voters were being harassed, which is completely false,” and that Anjum “prevented me from working for an hour, causing significant disruption to the work.”

FIR, a certificate for me as a journalist: Anjum

“This FIR filed in Begusarai isn’t a setback; it’s a badge of honour for me as a journalist,” stated Anjum. He asserts that the case was “bound to happen” as a direct consequence of his exposé on the Election Commission’s ‘SIR’ forms. Anjum urges viewers to watch the linked video in the comments, which he claims clearly shows the Election Commission’s flaws. He suggests that instead of addressing these shortcomings, an FIR was filed against him, inviting viewers to “make a judgment” for themselves.

Anjum’s stance: undeterred by “targeted action”

Anjum, however, remains resolute in the face of what he perceives as a targeted move by the administration. He confirmed that he has not yet received a copy of the FIR, stating, “I haven’t received a copy of the FIR yet; I’m waiting for it.” He revealed that prior to the FIR, he had reported irregularities in the ‘SIR’ forms in the Ballia block, after which he received calls from the local BDO (Block Development Officer) and SDO (Sub-Divisional Officer) pressuring him to delete the video. Anjum’s defiance was clear: “I didn’t listen to them, and now the consequences are evident.

There are a hundred questions about the Election Commission’s methods in Bihar. Instead of answering those questions, they’ve started an effort to intimidate journalists. I won’t be scared. I’ll only show the truth and report on the flaws.” He even stated he had voluntarily travelled to Begusarai from Kishanganj to ease the administration’s “trouble looking for me.”

Based on this Video, an FIR was filed, now watch and think: Anjum

Following the FIR, Anjum responded by re-uploading the video on his X handle. The video prominently features significant irregularities in the voter list revision’s form submission. It reveals that forms are being uploaded incompletely, with some containing only the name and signature, leaving all other columns blank and no photos attached. The video questions the credibility of such submissions. The official present, a Madam, acknowledges this as a “BLO’s mistake,” implicitly confirming a blatant violation of the Election Commission’s guidelines.

Anjum said that it is this very video that led to an FIR being filed against me, under a non-bailable section for obstructing government work. However, this charge is questionable given the circumstances. My colleague had first entered and inquired before I followed. When asked to stop recording, everyone involved exited with me, and I provided my contact number to the BLO after the shoot. Within ten minutes, I received a call from the BDO of Ballia, instructing me not to upload the video and warning that it “wouldn’t be good.” This was followed by two more calls from the SDO Madam of Ballia, urging me to delete the video.

These three calls are verifiable in my call records. Despite the pressure, I chose to make the video public instead of deleting it, resulting in the FIR with what I perceive as entrapment charges, Anjum said.

Ajit Anjum’s revelations: discrepancies in Bihar’s SIR process

Anjum’s relentless ground reporting from various corners of Bihar has meticulously exposed a systemic pattern of discrepancies within the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. His investigations highlighted how clear guidelines are routinely circumvented, such as voters being denied mandated acknowledgment receipts. He also uncovered the absurd reality of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) themselves being supplied with only single copies of forms, forcing citizens to photocopy their own documents – a significant and impractical burden.

His reports have showed the voices of villagers struggling to meet arbitrary documentary demands, vividly illustrating the profound disconnect between policy formulation at higher levels and its challenging implementation at the ground level. He specifically flagged instances where forms were allegedly collected from voters without their full knowledge or were incomplete, asserting that action should be taken against the BDO and SDO, rather than solely blaming BLOs. He cited a news report from Dainik Bhaskar’s Begusarai edition that detailed “massive fraud involving forms” in a block, which he claimed mirrored his findings in Ballia.

Opposition leaders condemn action

The registration of the FIR has drawn sharp condemnation from opposition parties.  RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter) to vehemently condemn the FIR, highlighting the ECI’s alleged indifference to “continuous irregularities, malpractices, constantly changing rules, and questions raised by the opposition and voters regarding the voter list revision process.”

He said that “senior journalist Ajit Anjum ji did exactly what an impartial and honest journalist should do immediately when irregularities are found in a crucial democratic process related to voters’ rights. When natural questions were raised about the deliberate irregularities and superficial efforts in the voter list revision process, on what moral grounds did the Election Commission get an FIR filed against Ajit Anjum ji after being caught red-handed? The filing of an FIR by the Nitish government against a senior impartial journalist is utterly condemnable.”

Congress leader Srinivas BV praised Anjum, calling the FIR “a badge of honour for his journalism,” and criticised the current ECI for “sycophancy to power,” alleging it has “forgotten its constitutional responsibility.”

However, the ongoing SIR is an unprecedented exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India in Bihar to update electoral rolls before the November 2025 assembly elections. While the ECI claims it aims for accuracy and purity, concerns have surfaced regarding its legality, arbitrary distinctions between voters, the burden of proving citizenship, and the potential for mass disenfranchisement, especially for migrants and marginalised communities. Petitioners, including ADR and others, argued in the Supreme Court that the SIR disproportionately targets certain groups and might be a de facto citizenship screening.

The Supreme Court on July 10, while not imposing a stay, urged the ECI to expand its accepted documents for identity proof to include Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration cards, emphasising that the focus should be on accurate identity, not citizenship.

Related
SC: ECI’s ‘wisdom’ on revision of electoral rolls challenged, does a disenfranchisement crisis loom over Bihar, with thousands being declared ‘‘D’ (doubtful) voters?

Bihar: Sinister move by ECI as ‘intensive’ revision of electoral roles set to exclude vast majority of legitimate voters

The Erased Record: A constitutional challenge to the election commission’s 45-day data destruction mandate

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