A complaint sought registration of an FIR against the editorial team of Anandabazar Patrika for the use of the phrase “gerua gundami”, or saffron hooliganism, in a front-page report on the August 21 clashes at Jadavpur University, as the complainant claimed that since saffron is linked to the religious symbol of the Sanatan tradition, equating it with the word “hooliganism” has hurt the sentiments of “crores of Hindus”.
The complaint was received at Bowbazar Police Station on Thursday (August 27) from Sanjay Shastri Maharaj, who described himself in the letter as a saffron-clad Hindu monk, arguing that saffron represents renunciation, sacrifice and the Sanatan tradition rather than any particular political ideology or organisation.
Sanjay Shastri enclosed a copy of the report and a printout of the headline with his complaint to the police, particularly naming Ishani Dutta Ray and Soma Mukherjee, whom he described as being involved in the newspaper’s editorial responsibilities, and sought action against them.
The complainant has further asked the police to investigate who proposed the expression, who approved it, who was involved in editing the report and deciding the headline, and whether those involved knew or intended that the wording could hurt religious sentiments.
The Editors’ Guild has in the past objected to similar demands, arguing that headline writing is often a collective and iterative process and that investigations could expose journalists who participated in editorial discussions.
The complaint does not cite specific legal provisions, seeking an FIR under the “applicable provisions of law”. Such complaints are commonly invoked under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, concerning deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and, in some cases, Section 196, relating to promoting enmity between groups.
No FIR had been confirmed as registered at the time of publication, while Bowbazar Police and the ABP group had not publicly commented on the matter.