West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has asked Anandabazar Patrika to apologise within 24 hours for using the phrase “gerua gundami”, or “saffron hooliganism”, in a headline about the recent clashes at Jadavpur University.
Speaking at an event to mark Raksha Bandhan on Friday, Adhikari said newspapers could criticise political parties but should not target the saffron colour, which he described as a religious symbol.
“I will ask a news outlet in West Bengal to do political campaigns, political criticism,” Adhikari said. “But don’t attack saffron. The result will be terrible. You will not be able to handle the terrible consequences.”
He further demanded that the newspaper apologise and publish the apology on its front page.
“Apologise within 24 hours. Print it on the first page…the writing was wrong. Otherwise, there will be a protest by those wearing saffron,” he said.
Although Adhikari did not name Anandabazar Patrika in his speech, his remarks came amid criticism of the newspaper by BJP leaders over its headline.
Complaint Filed Against Newspaper’s Editorial Team
A complaint was filed at Bowbazar Police Station on August 27 seeking an FIR against members of the newspaper’s editorial team over the use of “gerua gundami” in a front-page report on the Jadavpur University clashes.
The complainant, Sanjay Shastri Maharaj, described himself as a saffron-clad Hindu monk and argued that saffron was a religious symbol associated with renunciation, sacrifice and the Sanatan tradition.
According to the complaint, linking the colour with “hooliganism” went “beyond criticism of any particular political organisation or ideology” and hurt the religious sentiments of “crores of Hindus”.
The complaint names journalists Ishani Dutta Ray and Soma Mukherjee and asks the police to investigate who proposed and approved the headline and who was involved in editing the report.
It also asks whether those involved knew that the wording could hurt religious sentiments.
No FIR had been confirmed as registered against the newspaper at the time of reporting.
Jadavpur University Clash Triggered Controversy
The controversy follows clashes between members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-affiliated student groups at Jadavpur University on August 20 and 21.
The violence broke out during a general meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union and continued into the early hours of the following day. Several students were injured and taken to hospital.
Both groups accused each other of initiating the violence and alleged that outsiders had been brought onto the university campus.
The ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent organisation of the BJP.
Concerns Over Press Freedom
The complaint against the newspaper has also raised concerns about the use of police complaints over editorial and headline decisions.
The Wire reported that the complaint does not cite specific legal provisions but asks for action under applicable laws. Such complaints can potentially invoke provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to hurting religious sentiments or promoting enmity between groups.
The incident comes amid broader concerns over press freedom in India. Reporters Without Borders ranked India 157th out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index and classified the country’s press freedom situation as being “in crisis”.
Anandabazar Patrika has not publicly commented on the complaint.
The police have also not confirmed whether an FIR has been registered against the newspaper’s editorial team.
