Independent journalists and activists alleged increasing censorship by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, saying it was using copyright strikes, legal tools, and state machinery to censor the press. Speaking at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on April 11, 2026, they described a pattern of takedowns and pressure. A speaker identifying himself as Sahil, who runs a social media platform named Duniya (meaning world), said, “Since the Aam Aadmi Party’s government came to power in Punjab, attacks on press freedom have increased a lot”, and that an organisation called “Press Di Azadi Bahal Karo Sangharsh Committee” has been formed to respond.

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Copyright strikes and takedowns: Sahil alleged that AAP was systematically using copyright claims to remove critical content from social media platforms. “If we use images of Bhagwant Mann, the Vidhan Sabha, or even opposition leaders, the Aam Aadmi Party sends copyright strikes from its Facebook page,” he said. He added that “the copyright is accepted and our post is shut down”, describing it as ‘digital hooliganism.‘

The notices allegedly carried the label ‘Copyright reporter name Aam Aadmi Party Punjab.‘ Pages such as RMP Television, with 1.4 million followers, and Talk with Rapan, with around 3 lakh followers, were repeatedly targeted with strikes.

Use of Section 79(3): Authorities were also relying on Section 79(3) of the IT Act to escalate takedowns. “They use Section 79(3). The entire page gets shut down,” Sahil said, alleging that intermediary liability provisions were being invoked to disable accounts and remove posts at scale. They said both central and state-level authorities were using this route to ensure platform compliance.

FIRs and physical disruption:  First Information Reports (FIRs) are being filed against journalists, including one involving Right to Information (RTI) activist Manik Goyal. In which an FIR was registered against ‘nine journalists and the RTI activist’ over a query regarding the Chief Minister’s helicopter use. They also alleged that police halted the printing and distribution of, Punjab Kesari and Jagbani Akhbar, on January 20, stopping the presses and vehicles carrying the newspapers.

Why does this matter: The allegations from Punjab point to a model of censorship that combines platform tools, legal provisions, and state pressure to suppress critical reporting. The proposed IT Rules amendments could widen the scope of such control by bringing user-generated “news and current affairs” content under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s (MIB) Code of Ethics. That would extend oversight beyond formal publishers.

At the same time, stricter safe-harbour conditions under Section 79, coupled with a sharply reduced three-hour takedown window, will likely push platforms towards immediate, automated removals to avoid liability. This creates strong incentives for over-compliance without due diligence. Taken together, these shifts could formalise and scale the kind of censorship mechanisms that journalists in Punjab say they are already facing.

Quotes have been translated from Hindi to English. 

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