'Don't close newspaper', Supreme Court tells AAP govt on allegations of witch-hunt by 'Punjab Kesari'

Punjab government has initiated a barrage of regulatory measures against the publication apparently irked over a news article on Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it clear to the Punjab government that the printing of the newspaper Punjab Kesari has to be ensured uninterruptedly after the AAP government initiated a barrage of regulatory measures against the publication.

The State actions were triggered apparently irked over a news article which alleged luxurious facilities were being provided to party convener Arvind Kejriwal from the State exchequer.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi issued the direction to the State government, giving interim protection to the newspaper, as senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the "extraordinary" matter on behalf of the newspaper, seeking immediate and urgent intervention.

"Newspaper cannot be stopped. Don't close the newspaper part," the bench told the State government, providing interim relief to it.

"The printing presses of the vernacular daily shall continue to function uninterruptedly, notwithstanding the Punjab State Pollution Control Board’s decision to snap power supply due to alleged violations," the bench added.

Rohatgi said as the newspaper published articles not favourable to the dispensation in Punjab, several coercive actions were initiated like cutting off the electricity, notices by the State pollution control board against the press, shutting down of the hotels run by the newspaper owners, and lodging of the FIRs. 

"All this happened in a matter of two days," he said.

"This is an attack on the freedom of the press. They have cut the electricity of my printing press and shut two hotels that we run because of an adverse article about the present dispensation," he added.

He submitted that a plea was filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the actions but no interim relief was provided and the judgment was reserved on Monday.

Punjab Additional Advocate General Shadan Farasat, however, claimed all those actions were as per the regulations. He said only one unit was closed due to pollution issue and it was incorrect to say that the entire newspaper was shut down. He also submitted the High Court's judgment may come in a day or two.

The court, however, ordered that the newspaper should be allowed to be printed but the status quo should be maintained with regard to other establishments till the High Court pronounced its judgment and one week thereafter to enable to aggrieved party to file an appeal.

Alleging a “targeted witch-hunt”, the newspaper group sent a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Governor Gulab Chand Kataria last week, claiming that the actions have come after a report was published on October 31, 2025, which carried Opposition allegations against the AAP’s national leadership.

It said government advertisements to the group were stopped from November 2, 2025 and subsequent raids were conducted.

The State government, however, denied the allegations.