- NET Web Desk
A Silchar-based journalist of Barak Bulletin and the founder of political party Barak Democratic Front, Anirban Roy Choudhury booked under sedition charges has been interrogated today at Sadar Police Station, Silchar.
Anirban was on Saturday booked under multiple charges, including Section 124 (A) (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, for alleged “objectionable” article he wrote for his news portal.
He has been booked under sedition charges, after a First Information Report (FIR) based on a complaint filed by a Silchar-based businessman Santanu Sutradhar.
A case was lodged against Sutradhar under sedition charges for writing an article on the arrest of lawyer Pradip Dutta Roy.
The article “Welcome To The Paradise Of The Spineless – We Are Assamese, ‘Bhasha Shaheeds’ Are Dead And So Are Their Descendants” questioned the role of local socio-cultural organisations in protection of the Assam Official Language (Amendment) Act, 1961.
The article criticised local Bengali residents for not extending support to Roy while he was “getting harassed” during arrest on November 27.
It’s worthy to note that Assam Official Language (Amendment) Act, 1961 allows the utilization of local languages in three districts of Barak Valley (Bengali), besides Bodoland (Bodo), for all official communication.
Roy earlier faced backlashes, after threatening to take to the streets, if a government hoarding written in Assamese about the Covid-19 vaccination drive displayed on Silchar district was not removed within 48 hours.
Anirban claimed that the hoarding violated provisions of Assam Official Language Act, 1960, which states that Bengali language will be used along districts of Barak Valley for official purposes.
