PHAGWARA: The alleged targeting of a newspaper group based in Jalandhar by enforcement agencies has triggered sharp political reactions across Punjab, with opposition parties describing the developments as a direct attack on press freedom and democratic values. Political leaders cutting across party lines—except the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—have expressed concern that the use of state machinery against a leading media house undermines the foundational principles of democracy.
The controversy erupted after the group wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging that it and its associate concerns were subjected to multiple enforcement raids. The group maintained that the actions followed the publication of a news report on opposition allegations against AAP’s national leadership, describing the report as balanced and factual. It alleged that the raids were carried out with the intent to intimidate and silence independent journalism.
Reacting to the development, leaders from the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) collectively condemned what they termed an erosion of media freedom in the state. They asserted that a free press is a cornerstone of democracy and warned that any attempt to suppress it reflects authoritarian tendencies.
The opposition leaders alleged that the actions against the newspaper group form part of a broader pattern involving pressure on journalists, registration of cases, and disruption of government advertisements to media outlets critical of the government. They maintained that such measures send a chilling message to the media fraternity and restrict the public’s right to information.