Chandigarh, Apr 21 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday served a legal notice seeking a ban on the upcoming ZEE5 docu-series on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, ‘Lawrence of Punjab’, alleging it would glorify gangster culture.
Warring said he will also file a Public Interest Litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the screening of the television series, claiming that it has the potential of leading to dangerous influence on youngsters.
He issued a legal notice to ZEE5, seeking immediate suspension or deferment of its release.
‘Lawrence of Punjab’ will be released on ZEE5 on April 27.
According to the makers, the show “traces the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility” and treats Bishnoi as a case study in the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology and media amplification.
Bishnoi, 33, currently lodged in a Gujarat jail, has been facing multiple criminal cases.
He is one of the main accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala.
A product of a gangster-terror network nexus, Bishnoi has also been named by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in several high-profile cases.
In September 2025, the government of Canada listed the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity.
The Ludhiana MP said glorification of gangster culture cannot be tolerated.
“Punjab’s youth deserve better, not content that misguides and endangers their future. Turning criminals into heroes is dangerous. We must protect our society and our youth from such narratives,” Warring said in a post on X.
Later, in a statement, he said the series not only would promote and glorify the gangster culture, but would also amount to insulting “Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat” that the holy land of ‘gurus’, ‘rishis ‘and ‘pirs’ will now be identified with a dreaded gangster.
“Bishnoi and his gang of criminals have been responsible for killing famous singer Sidhu Moosewala and hundreds of other innocent people,” he said.
Warring questioned the wisdom of the makers to “promote the culture of crime and violence.” “This is not a work of art and entertainment, but a criminal act to instigate and abet youngsters towards the world of crime”, he said.
The Congress leader also questioned the “silence” of the state and the central government over such a “blatant insult to Punjab.” In the legal notice, Warring wrote, “The description of the web series itself shows that it would be glorifying the life of a gangster which would amount to promotion of unlawful activities. The subject matter of the series is therefore not fictional in abstraction, but relates to a real individual associated with ongoing criminality, thereby attracting heightened legal scrutiny.” Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Arshdeep Singh Kler also sought a ban on the release of the series and asked whether Punjab was being defamed under a conspiracy.
Through this series, an attempt is being made to show the world that the youth of Punjab are gangsters, he alleged. PTI CHS SUN VN VN
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