Chandigarh— Senior Congress leader and MLA Pargat Singh has raised serious concerns over the state of press freedom in India, alleging a coordinated attempt by both the Centre and the Punjab government to suppress independent media voices.Marking World Press Freedom Day, Pargat Singh took to social media to highlight India’s alarming fall to 157th rank in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, placing the country in the “very serious” category. He stated that such a decline reflects growing pressure on media institutions under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
In his statement, Singh specifically accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab of misusing digital platforms to target journalists. He alleged that the party’s official social media channels, particularly its Facebook page, have been issuing copyright strikes against journalists and independent web channels. According to him, these actions involve the alleged misuse of images of the Chief Minister and proceedings of the Punjab Assembly, potentially violating provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957.
The MLA further revealed that formal complaints regarding the issue were submitted months ago to the Election Commission of India as well as Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan. However, he expressed disappointment over what he described as “complete silence” from authorities since January, raising questions about accountability and transparency.
Calling the situation a “systematic attempt to choke independent media,” Pargat Singh warned that such practices pose a direct threat to democratic values. He emphasized that a free and fearless press is essential for the functioning of democracy and urged immediate intervention to safeguard journalists and media platforms from undue pressure.
The remarks come amid growing national and international scrutiny over media freedoms in India, with opposition leaders increasingly voicing concerns over censorship, legal intimidation, and digital restrictions faced by journalists.
As debates intensify, Singh’s statement has once again brought the spotlight on the delicate balance between governance and freedom of expression in the world’s largest democracy.