A journalist from Bihar’s East Champaran has been booked by the police for questioning Muslim leaders who attended Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Iftar party. Fazlul Mubeen, editor of the digital platform Milli Khabar, shared pictures on social media of some Muslim figures at the event, along with a post criticizing their attendance. Mubeen wrote, “I am ashamed to tell you that these people are from Bihar’s Dhaka. For them, Nitish Kumar is above Imarat Sharia, Muslim Personal Law, Jamiat Ahle Hadis, and Jamiat Ulema. Waqf is our constitutional right—and it is also a matter of our Shariat. Take care of it.”
After Mubeen’s post, Asghar Ali, a leader from JD(U)’s Kisan Cell, filed a police complaint against him. Mubeen believes that a senior JD(U) leader may also be involved in this action. The FIR includes serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Section 352 (intentional insult meant to provoke a breach of peace), Section 356(2) (defamation), and Section 302 (hurting religious feelings through words or actions).
Talking to The Observer Post, Mubeen said, “I just questioned why these Muslim leaders were silent on sensitive issues but went to eat at the Iftar party. This is my democratic right.”
He added, “Soon after I posted the pictures, people from my area and even outside started calling me. Some said, ‘You’ve said the right thing,’ but others warned me, saying, ‘It’s better to delete your post, they may try to arrest you.’”
Mubeen said that the pictures he shared were already public. “Many of the photos were already posted by the people themselves on their Facebook profiles. I didn’t steal or edit anything,” he said.
Despite this, an FIR was filed. “Some people even admitted later that maybe an FIR shouldn’t have been filed. But it had already been done,” Mubeen said.
According to Mubeen, some of the people whose photos he posted tried to contact him. “One of them called me and said, ‘If you come and apologise, we can settle the matter.’ But I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I apologise?”
He continued, “They even tried to emotionally pressure me, saying things like, ‘You are from our community, come sit with us, sort it out.’ But I felt they just wanted to silence me.”
He also said this kind of action creates fear among journalists. “They want to scare us so we stop speaking the truth. But I won’t back down. I have screenshots and proof of everything I posted.”
A local mosque committee also supported Mubeen, stating, “He didn’t steal or defame anyone. If needed, he is ready to face jail.”
The Cogito Media Foundation (CMF), a “non-profit organization dedicated to empowering and uniting India’s diverse digital media landscape”, also reacted strongly. Its president Shams Tabrez Qasmi said,“Filing an FIR against Fazlul Mubeen is completely against democracy. Asking questions is a journalist’s right, not a crime.”
CMF convener Saifur Rahman added, “It’s sad that a journalist is being targeted just for raising a serious issue related to the community. We demand that the FIR be cancelled immediately.”
Fazlul Mubeen is known for raising local and social issues from Champaran and other parts of Bihar through Milli Khabar. He has previously worked with HW News and Millat Times, and studied journalism at Maulana Mazharul Haque University.
