A group of men linked to Hindutva outfits protested outside the Kolkata office of Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika and painted parts of the building saffron, The Hindu reported.
The protest reportedly came days after the newspaper used the phrase “saffron hooliganism” in a headline describing a clash between student groups at Jadavpur University on August 20.
Videos circulating on social media showed several men dressed in saffron clothes painting the walls of the newspaper’s office while police personnel stood nearby. The protesters were also heard raising slogans, including, “Hindustan will not tolerate the insult of saffron.”
The men involved in painting the building have not been identified so far, and no complaint had been filed over the incident at the time of reporting. The newspaper later restored the walls to their original colour.
Row Over ‘Saffron Hooliganism’ Headline
The controversy follows a clash at Jadavpur University between members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-affiliated student groups during a meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union on August 20.
The confrontation continued into the early hours of the following day, with both sides accusing each other of bringing outsiders onto the campus. Several students were injured and taken to hospital.
ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is also the ideological parent organisation of the BJP.
Anandabazar Patrika described the violence as “gerua gundami”, which translates to “saffron hooliganism”. The headline subsequently triggered protests and legal action against members of the newspaper’s editorial team.
An FIR was registered against the editorial team, including two journalists. The Indian Women’s Press Corps and the Press Association criticised the case, saying that increasing FIRs against journalists were “disturbing” and could undermine the role of a free press.
Political Reaction
The reported protest outside the newspaper office has also drawn political criticism.
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh condemned the incident and said protests should not turn into intimidation or violence.
“Ongoing attacks all around, with governmental support, and such a display of muscle power by uncultured brutes have dealt an ugly blow to Bengal’s image,” Ghosh said in a social media post.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over intimidation of media organisations and journalists following reports or headlines critical of Hindutva groups.
