Journalist Ajit Anjum was booked for allegedly interfering in the Bihar voter roll revision process and for allegedly provoking communal discord, Newslaundry reported.

A first information report was filed against Anjum under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the 1951 Representation of Peoples Act after he visited a polling booth in Bihar’s Ballia on Saturday, The Indian Express reported.

The revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24. As part of the exercise, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility to vote. This means that 2.9 crore out of the state’s 7.8 crore voters – or about 37% of the electors – have to submit documentary evidence.

The Opposition parties have alleged that the special intensive revision of electoral rolls risked disenfranchising more than 2.5 crore voters, as they may not be able to produce the necessary documents.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Anjum had claimed that he had found irregularities in the electoral process, with several enumeration forms at the booth not having photos of the applicants and others that had been partially filled or not having signatures.

Anjum’s YouTube channel has 75 lakh subscribers.

He was booked under sections pertaining to criminal trespass, disobeying a lawful order, preventing a public servant from doing their duty and hurting religious sentiments, The Indian Express reported.

The FIR against Anjum was filed based on a complaint by a booth-level officer named Mohammed Ansrarul Haque.

The Begusarai district administration alleged that Anjum, his associates and cameraperson had made unauthorised videos of the voter roll revision process.

“In the video, the YouTuber identified people of a particular caste by forcefully checking sensitive documents of a particular polling station and false propaganda was spread about the possibility of incomplete documents and fake signatures,” the administration alleged.

Anjum on Monday said that a Muslim block-level officer was “being used as a scapegoat” against him.

“Instead of addressing the questions raised in the video, the administration is resorting to intimidation tactics,” Anjum said on social media. “All I’m saying is that I’m right here in Begusarai. If needed, I will fight up to the Supreme Court. I won’t be scared.”

The Digipub News India Foundation, an association of independent digital news organisations and journalists, said that the FIR against Anjum was a direct assault on independent journalism.

The “vague allegations” against Anjum were neither credible nor reason enough for an FIR, the news association said in a statement.

“Instead of addressing those legitimate questions, the Election Commission, through this FIR, has attempted to intimidate not just him but all independent journalists who dare to report from the ground,” it added.