Kolkata: A complaint asking police to register an FIR against the editorial team of Anandabazar Patrika, including two named journalists, was received at Bowbazar Police Station on Thursday (August 27). It objects to the paper’s use of the phrase “gerua gundami” or saffron hooliganism, in a front-page report on the August 21 clashes at Jadavpur University.The front page of Ananda Bazar Patrika newspaper with the headline “Pratik bhenge gerua gundami” which means “Saffron hooliganism breaking emblems”. Photo by arrangement.The complainant, Sanjay Shastri Maharaj, describes himself in the letter as a saffron-clad Hindu monk. He argues that saffron is a religious symbol rather than a political one, associated with renunciation, sacrifice and the Sanatan tradition, and that pairing it with the word “hooliganism” went “beyond criticism of any particular political organisation or ideology” and hurt the religious sentiments of “crores of Hindus”. The letter names Ishani Dutta Ray and Soma Mukherjee, described as associated with the paper’s editorial responsibilities, and asks that action be taken against them. Two enclosures are listed: a copy of the report and a printout showing the headline.Also read: Stones, Eggs, Bricks, Shoes, Fire: 12 Hours of Saffron Mob Violence at Jadavpur University After BJP MLA’s ‘Tandav’ CallThe letter also asks the police to establish, through investigation, “who proposed the expression, who approved it, who was involved in editing the report and determining the headline, and whether any of the persons concerned had the intention or knowledge that such wording could cause injury to religious sentiments”.That request, if acted on, would put the internal editing process of a newspaper under police examination. Editors’ Guild has objected to similar demands in the past on the grounds that headline decisions are collective and iterative, and that opening them to investigation exposes staff who took part in a discussion regardless of what they argued for.The complaint does not cite specific provisions, asking instead for an FIR “under the applicable provisions of law”. Complaints of this kind are usually brought under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which covers deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and sometimes Section 196, on promoting enmity between groups. Both are cognizable, meaning police may proceed without a magistrate’s direction once a case is opened.Also read: I Asked ABVP About a Molestation Case. They Asked Me to Meet Them at NightThe complaint follows public criticism of the newspaper by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. Speaking at a televised conclave after the report appeared, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said the paper was entitled to write “BJP’s rampage” or “ABVP’s rampage” but not “gerua gundami,” and asked, “Do you know the meaning of gerua? You will get your answer.” He did not name Anandabazar Patrika.A concerned authority at the ABP group, contacted for this report, declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of the matter.No FIR has been confirmed as registered yet. Police at Bowbazar have not commented publicly at the time this article was published.The Jadavpur complaint arrives against a longer record of investigative agencies being deployed after critical coverage. Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) ranked India 157th of 180 countries in its 2026 press freedom index, with a score of 31.96, and classified the situation as “press freedom is in crisis”.Meanwhile, Kolkata Police have registered a suo motu case at Hastings Police Station against former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and organisers of the West Bengal Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (WBTMCP) over the programme held on Cathedral Road on August 28.As per the police, Banerjee and WBTMCP organisers allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy and violated the Calcutta high court order.Police alleged that supporters pushed aside barricades, jostled with personnel deployed for law and order, created a chaotic situation and obstructed traffic on one flank of Cathedral Road.The case has been registered under Sections 61(2)/223/125(a)/132/285 of the BNS.