In a letter to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, the Punjab Kesari Group has accused the AAP government in the state of a “targeted witch hunt” against their media operations. It has claimed the Punjab government stopped all ads after a “balanced and fair report” regarding the opposition’s allegations about AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in October last year.

The group publishes popular vernacular dailies including Punjab Kesari (Hindi), Navodaya Times (Hindi), Hindi Samachar and Jag Bani (Punjabi). It alleged that despite this “economic coercion”, the group’s publications remained “steadfast” and continued their “independent and free reporting”.

It alleged that the AAP government launched nine separate raids and regulatory actions against the group’s printing presses and hotel business between January 11 and January 15. “A targeted witch-hunt of this nature-where various departments, with a predetermined intent, are disrupting our operations-clearly reflects an intent to intimidate.”

Besides various raids by the FSSAI, GST, and Excise Department at their hotels, the Punjab Kesari Group listed three separate raids on their printing presses in Ludhiana and Jalandhar conducted by various departments. 

“Due to the actions, it is feared that as on 15.01.2026, the operation of the press at various presses at Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Bathinda will be obstructed or stopped altogether," they wrote, adding that there is a heavy deployment of police outside their presses.

The group even referenced the upcoming state assembly elections and said that any attempt to interfere with press freedom “would seriously undermine democracy in Punjab”. They requested the governor to “enquire into this matter” and “take necessary action”.

The Punjab government responded to these allegations in a press release issued last evening, calling it a “vendetta narrative”. They claimed that their actions were based on concrete violations detected by statutory authorities, highlighting excise violations at a hotel owned by the group in Jalandhar, including the storage of 800 liquor bottles at unapproved locations, and environmental violations, such as the discharge of untreated effluents into sewer lines.

According to The Indian Express, the government also remarked that “freedom of the press does not extend to violations of excise, environmental or labour laws”.  

The Opposition BJP and the Congress, however, condemned the AAP government’s actions, calling it an “attack on press freedom and democracy”.

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