Raids on Punjab Kesari planned attack on media freedom: Bansuri Swaraj

Accusing the Punjab government of a “planned attack on media freedom and democratic dissent, carried out at the direction of Arvind Kejriwal”, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj on Friday said the AAP government in Punjab had “misused state machinery” to target the Punjab Kesari Group.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, the New Delhi MP said “critical reporting against Arvind Kejriwal” had triggered an assault on the media group similar to the Emergency period. Calling the action a clear example of a dictatorial mindset, Swaraj said silencing voices of dissent reflected the AAP’s “tendency to run away from questions exposing its poor governance”.

Swaraj said criticism of the government in an article on October 31, 2025 was the reason behind the “well-planned attack” on the media group. “The Aam Aadmi Party government is incapable of responding to any criticism or questions, but is quick to suppress the media,” she said.

“This politics of repression is not new, but follows a clear and consistent pattern…It reminds one of the attacks on the media carried out by the Congress during the Emergency,” she added