Where is My Newspaper?

Newspapers were not delivered in several parts of Panjab on 1 Nov. The news blackout was reminiscent of the days of ‘Operation Blue Star’ in 1984 when Indian Army attacked Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) and March 2023 when police were searching for now Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh and the entire state's internet connection was disconnected. Newspaper agents claimed that the police stopped vehicles carrying newspapers, detained the drivers, and took them to police stations. Cities affected were Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Ahmedgarh, Amritsar, Faridkot, Muktsar, Patiala, and others. Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said, 'Earlier, I also did not know what was going on. There is some clarity now. There was an intelligence input that some vehicles may have drugs and ammunition. That is why they were checked.' Chandigarh Press Club condemned the police action and called it ‘a direct attack on press freedom’. All India Congress Committee secretary Pargat Singh claimed the Bhagwant Singh Mann government blocked newspaper distribution across the state to prevent news about former Delhi Chief Minister and ruling Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal staying at his Panjab’s home from reaching the public. The Bharatiya Janata Party had recently alleged that an exorbitant amount of money has been spent on Kejriwal's home in Chandigarh and it is Sheesh Mahal 2.0 (Glass Palace). Such allegations of expenses in Delhi were made during Delhi Legislative Assembly elections in February 2025. 'This is not administration, this is a silent emergency being imposed in Punjab. Punjab will not tolerate it,' Pargat wrote on X. Meanwhile, Panjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has granted sanction to prosecute former Shiromani Akali Dal minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a corruption case filed by the state Vigilance Bureau. The approval, issued under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, follows a 8 Sep recommendation made by the Panjab cabinet. The case accuses Majithia of possessing assets worth over USD 79M allegedly acquired through the laundering of USD 60M linked to a 2013 drug trafficking network (earlier coverage).

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