Action against newspaper vans: Punjab AAP govt accused again of ‘curbing dissent’

Action against newspaper vans: Punjab AAP govt accused again of ‘curbing dissent’

Several officials and party leaders have faced government action in recent months. The latest incident occurred amid BJP accusations of ‘Sheesh Mahal 2.0’ against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.

Last week, the Punjab Police conducted a pre-dawn operation targeting newspaper distribution vans in multiple towns. This move has revived criticism against the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for suppressing dissent.

The day before the distribution disruption in the Punjab capital, newspapers—including The Indian Express—carried BJP's claims that Kejriwal had built himself a ‘Sheesh Mahal 2.0’ in Chandigarh.

Earlier this year, during the Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP had repeatedly alleged that Kejriwal transformed the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence into a lavish ‘Sheesh Mahal.’ These attacks contributed to AAP’s defeat and the BJP's return to power in Delhi after almost thirty years.

Official Explanation for the Police Action

Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla explained that on October 31, police stopped newspaper delivery vans based on intelligence suggesting these might be used to smuggle drugs and ammunition. Given Punjab's status as a border state, the authorities deemed caution necessary.

Although the vans were released later, newspaper distribution was disrupted across all Chandigarh districts except Mohali.

Special DGP Arpit Shukla said, "The police stopped newspaper delivery vans on October 31 in wake of intelligence inputs that these may be used to smuggle drugs and ammunition, and that border state Punjab needed to be cautious."

Author’s summary: The Punjab government’s recent police action against newspaper vans has intensified accusations of suppressing dissent, amid political controversies surrounding AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.

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The Indian Express The Indian Express — 2025-11-07

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