Sukhpal Singh Khaira, MLA and senior Congress leader, condemns the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government’s order banning protests that disrupt public life, calling it a direct attack on democratic principles.
Khaira asserts that the order, issued on May 5, 2025, by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, violates Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression, and Article 19(1)(b), which ensures the right to assemble peacefully.
He highlights that the Punjab government’s directive threatens strict legal action against protests involving road or rail blockades, labeling such actions as “against the public,” which Khaira argues is an attempt to suppress dissent and gag the voices of Punjab’s citizens.
Khaira points to recent farmer protests in Punjab, such as the December 2024 bandh where farmers blocked roads to demand MSP and other rights, noting that such movements have historically been a critical avenue for expressing grievances in the state.
Khaira termed the blanket ban on protests even peaceful as one more step towards making Punjab a Police State which is not only undemocrtic but draconian in nature.
Khaira criticizes the government for its hypocrisy, noting that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), under Mann’s leadership, has itself organized protests and rallies that disrupted public life.
He warns that curbing the right to protest sets a dangerous precedent, drawing parallels to historical struggles in Punjab where freedom of expression played a key role in India’s independence movement.
Khaira calls on the Punjab government to withdraw the order immediately and urges the judiciary to intervene, emphasizing that the Supreme Court has consistently held that restrictions on fundamental rights must be reasonable and subject to judicial review.
He appeals to the Indian National Congress (INC) and its Punjab unit (INCPunjab) to mobilize against this “draconian” order, reaffirming his commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of Punjab’s citizens.