Court Stays FIR on Activists & Journalists; Chandigarh Mayoral Poll on 29 Jan

On 12 Jan, the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) granted interim relief to Panjab activists and journalists by staying further investigation in the First Information Report registered against them over questioning the use of Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s official helicopter during his absence. PHHC remarked that Panjab is not a 'police state' and that such cases should not arise simply because of questions. The court also stated that the public has the right to question and criticize the government, which cannot be suppressed. The Panjab government lawyer argued that Manik Goyal's social media post could have affected law and order and was an attempt to incite people. However, the court advised the government lawyer to refrain from political debate and said such cases should not be viewed from a political perspective. The Panjab government has also started restricting journalists from attending press conferences. On 11 Jan, senior journalist Swarn Singh Danewalia was stopped from attending the CM’s press conference in Bathinda. In December 2025, the Panjab government cited copyright infringement to Lok Awaz TV, a YouTube channel, for using pictures of the Panjab Legislative Assembly proceedings. Those proceedings are recorded by government media and are usually free to use. Meanwhile, Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav announced that the election to the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor for Union Territory (UT) will be held on 29 Jan. The election process will make a switch from secret voting to a show of hands. Keeping in view the change, the DC also outlined the Standard Operating Procedure to ensure transparency, accountability, and clarity in the election. Addressing the House meeting of the Municipal Corporation on 31 Dec 2025, UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria had said, 'I will certainly make efforts to change the mayor’s one-year term so that the mayor has sufficient time to work for the public. For this, if I have to meet the union Home Minister, I will do so and will try to ensure the tenure is extended' (earlier coverage).