Chandigarh, Jan 17 (PTI) The Punjab Kesari newspaper group on Saturday alleged that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab was spreading false narratives about it and its promoters, days after the media group wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claiming that it was being harassed and targeted with multiple raids by enforcement authorities over its reportage.
In its fresh statement, the group alleged that the state government had been targeting it to “muzzle” independent reporting.
PTI tried to reach out to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its government for a reaction but no response was available immediately.
The BJP, Congress, and SAD have condemned the action against the media group.
On Saturday, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra termed as “anti-democratic” the Punjab police raids and called upon mediapersons to protest against the incident.
“Arvind Kejriwal cannot ever change. After moving out of Delhi’s Sheesh Mahal, he is now staying in Hawa Mahal in Punjab… Action was taken against the newspaper at the behest of Kejriwal,” Patra said at the party headquarters in Delhi.
On Thursday, the group wrote to Chief Minister Mann alleging that it was being targeted with multiple raids, events that it said began with a “balanced and fair” news report on the opposition’s allegations against Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP’s national convenor.
The group alleged these raids were made “with an extraneous motive to intimidate the press.” The Punjab government had then rejected the allegation, noting that the claim was “an attempt to deflect attention from serious, recorded violations of law uncovered by multiple statutory authorities acting strictly within their legal mandate”.
On Saturday, the newspaper group claimed that the government’s scrutiny of the publication had increased since October 31 last year, when the newspaper carried reports about Kejriwal’s stay in a state accommodation.
“Immediately after the news, the next few days saw state machinery being misused and delivery of Punjab Kesari and Jag Bani being obstructed. Delivery trucks were stopped so much so that the paper could not be distributed in some parts or deliveries were delayed till evening.
“When people started questioning the action of the Punjab government, in a desperate attempt to cover their misdeeds, a halfhearted and ragtag of an excuse was put forward that the government was checking newspaper delivery vans for drug/weapon smuggling, knowing fully well that it was false,” the group alleged.
When these “tactics” did not yield results, the government began applying economic pressure on the group and completely stopped issuing advertisements, it alleged.
The government “fell to a new low after January 9” after the newspaper “fairly” reported on a controversy stemming from a speech of Atishi, the AAP Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, it said.
The statement was signed by Vijay Kumar Chopra, Avinash Chopra, and Amit Chopra.
“On 11, 12, 13 and 14 January, the group’s business of presses all over Punjab and one hotel in Jalandhar were subjected to harassment/inspections and reports by different departments,” the publication said.
The group alleged snapping of power at a hotel as another power move by the government to harass it, adding that the management has taken legal steps.
The paper claimed that on January 15, nearly one hundred police personnel were sent to its printing press in Jalandhar when the press was closed.
“The locks were broken, and police climbed the walls and beat up the few personnel on site. Allegedly, police presence was for the Pollution Control Board to do an inspection,” it alleged.
“(The) Public can see that the target is not pollution, but the target is freedom of expression,” it said.
The group said the government was framing a false narrative that Punjab Kesari is doing the liquor business.
“(The) Chopra family in their ancestral city of Jalandhar have only built the Park Plaza Hotel. The hotel was built in Jalandhar to provide infrastructure for tourism and employment in their hometown,” it said.
It also alleged that the authorities cancelled its liquor licences overnight in an abuse of power.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has urged the governor to intervene “to stop the attack on the freedom of the press,” while Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma termed the government action “a direct attack on democracy.” PTI CHS VSD VN RT
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.