Jammu, 17 January 2026: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab for its continued, systematic, and politically motivated assault on democracy and media freedom.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP Headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, J&K BJP State Media In-charge Dr. Pardeep Mahotra and State Spokesperson Dr. Tahir Choudhary denounced the recent police action against the reputed Punjab Kesari newspaper group, calling it an open misuse of government machinery under the directions of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. State Spokesperson Altaf Thakur was also present.
Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, strongly criticizing the attack on the freedom of media, said that the raid on Punjab Kesari without any notice, the brutal assault on journalists and staff, the breaking of office locks, and the illegal detentions carried out by Punjab Police clearly expose the dictatorial and intolerant mindset of Arvind Kejriwal and the Bhagwant Mann government. He stated that this was not a routine administrative action, but a calculated political conspiracy to crush an independent media house for publishing critical reports.
Dr. Pardeep said that such actions mirror the darkest days of the Emergency imposed by the Congress, when newspapers were silenced, blacked out, and terrorized, and even resemble the colonial British era when dissent was crushed through brute force. He asserted that when a government starts fearing questions, it chooses repression over accountability. Calling media the fourth pillar of democracy, he warned that attacking journalists is equivalent to attacking the Constitution itself. He added that BJP strongly condemns this barbaric act and will not allow AAP’s authoritarian experiment to succeed. The misuse of police, administrative agencies, and intimidation tactics, he added, will only hasten the political collapse of AAP in Punjab, just as it has already faced rejection elsewhere.
Dr. Tahir Choudhary said that the attack on Punjab Kesari is part of a long and disturbing pattern of media suppression by the AAP government, as clearly reflected in multiple documented incidents. He recalled that on the intervening night of 1st and 2nd November 2025, Punjab Police illegally seized press vans of newspapers published in Punjab, forcibly took away drivers’ mobile phones, disrupted newspaper distribution, and even burnt copies of newspapers carrying reports critical of Arvind Kejriwal. He further stated that earlier, under Kejriwal’s instructions, the Bhagwant Mann government targeted the renowned Punjabi daily Ajit Group by slapping FIRs to exert pressure.
Dr. Choudhary added that raids and FIRs were also conducted against independent YouTubers and journalists who questioned government policies, while media houses were routinely pressured not to cover opposition press conferences, with incidents of power cuts and signal jamming during live events. Such repeated attacks, he said, prove that AAP cannot tolerate free journalism or democratic dissent. He emphasized that press freedom is a constitutional right, not a privilege, and BJP stands firmly with journalists against this sustained campaign of intimidation and injustice.
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