KOLKATA — Tensions over press freedom and religious symbolism erupted visibly on Tuesday afternoon when a group of men dressed in saffron robes gathered outside the offices of Anandabazar Patrika, one of Bengal’s leading newspapers. In a dramatic display, they daubed the building’s white exterior with saffron paint, shouting slogans condemning the publication.

Key facts

  • Protest occurred September 1, 2026 outside Anandabazar Patrika office in Kolkata
  • FIR registered August 28 against editorial team over phrase “saffron hooliganism”
  • Protesters painted building saffron; paper later repainted walls
  • Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had demanded apology within 24 hours

What sparked the protest?

The demonstration came just days after the paper published reports on recent clashes at Jadavpur University, using the Bengali phrase “gerua gundami” — translating to “saffron hooliganism.” Those two words lit a fuse. On August 27, Sanjay Shastri Maharaj filed a police complaint objecting to the term, calling it derogatory and offensive to Hindu sentiments. An FIR followed on August 28 against members of the editorial team, including two senior journalists.

A warning and a refusal

At a public event in Jadavpur on August 28, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari issued a sharp warning. He demanded the newspaper apologize for the headline within 24 hours — or face protests from “people in saffron.” The paper stood its ground. No apology came.

“There can be differences of opinion with the editorial matters of the media. There can be protests. But in this way, through brute force... this display of muscle power by the uncultured brutes has struck an ugly blow at Bengal’s image.”
— Kunal Ghosh, Trinamool Congress MLA

Silence from police

Videos circulating on social media show police personnel standing by as the protesters painted the walls and chanted slogans like “Anandabazar Patrika hai hai” and “Hindustan will not tolerate the insult of saffron.” No official complaint has been filed against the men, who remain unidentified. The police have yet to issue any statement.

Within hours, the newspaper’s authorities repainted the walls, restoring the building’s original white — a quiet but firm response to the act of symbolic defiance.

Journalists push back

Press associations including the Indian Women’s Press Corps and the Press Association have condemned the FIR, calling for its immediate withdrawal. The incident underscores growing tensions between media voices and political pressure in the region — a clash of ink, ideology, and now, paint.