New Delhi, Jan. 21 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday restrained the Punjab government from taking any coercive action that could disrupt the publication of the Punjab Kesari newspaper after the media group alleged that it was being selectively targeted by the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government over unfavourable reportage. A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, and comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, passed the interim order after an urgent mentioning by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Punjab Kesari Group. "Without prejudice to the rights of the parties and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, it is directed that the printing press shall continue to operate uninterruptedly, while the commercial units can remain shut for the time being," the bench ordered. The interim protection will remain in force until the Punjab and Haryana high court pronounces its order in the matter and for seven days thereafter, to enable the aggrieved parties to approach the appellate court, the Supreme Court said. Rohatgi told the court that the group's printing press had been partially shut after electricity was disconnected and that two hotels run by the group were also closed following regulatory action, which he described as a direct fallout of an adverse news report published against the ruling dispensation. "This is an attack on the freedom of the press. They have cut the electricity of my printing press and shut two hotels that we run because of an adverse article about the present dispensation," argued Rohatgi, adding that halting newspaper publication was impermissible in a democracy. He informed the bench that the high court had heard the matter at length on Monday and reserved its order, but had declined to grant interim relief, prompting the newspaper to urgently approach the Supreme Court to prevent disruption of publication. "The newspaper cannot be stopped from printing," Rohatgi said. Responding to the submissions, senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for the Punjab government, maintained that only one unit of the printing press had been affected due to alleged pollution violations and that the entire operation had not been shut. "There is just one unit of the printing press affected because of pollution issues. They have already moved the high court, and the order is expected in a day or two," Farasat said. The bench repeatedly questioned the justification for any action that impacted newspaper publication. "Hotel is fine, but why the newspaper should be shut?" the CJI asked. When told that only one unit was closed, the bench responded: "Do not close down the newspaper. Hotels can remain shut, but why the newspaper should be?" Punjab advocate general Maninderjit Singh Bedi pointed out that the matter had been argued before the high court and orders were reserved. Recording the submissions, the Supreme Court noted that the only prayer before it was for interim protection until the high court delivered its verdict. The court clarified that its directions were purely temporary and did not reflect any view on the legality of the actions taken by the Punjab Pollution Control Board or other authorities. The Punjab Kesari Group has alleged a "targeted witch-hunt" by the Punjab government, claiming that a spate of inspections, raids and regulatory actions against its newspapers and associated businesses were aimed at intimidating the press. In letters addressed to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and governor Gulab Chand Kataria last week, the group claimed the actions followed a report published on October 31, 2025, which carried opposition allegations against the AAP's national leadership. It said government advertisements to the group were stopped from November 2, 2025. The group cited inspections and raids between January 11 and 15 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, GST, and excise departments at a Jalandhar hotel run by Chopra Hotels Private Limited. It flagged heavy police deployment outside printing presses in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Bathinda, expressing apprehension that newspaper operations could be disrupted. The Punjab government has rejected the allegations, describing them as a "vendetta narrative". In a press release on January 15, the government said action was taken on the basis of serious and documented violations detected by statutory authorities. It cited excise violations at the Park Plaza hotel in Jalandhar, including storage of liquor at unapproved locations, absence of mandatory holograms and QR codes, and sale of expired draught beer, which led to suspension of licences after due process. It also pointed to environmental violations such as the discharge of untreated effluents, a non-functional sewage treatment plant and expired consents under environmental laws. Opposition parties rallied around the Punjab Kesari Group. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said on X that the allegations of a targeted witch-hunt were "deeply disturbing" and struck at the backbone of democracy. Shiromani Akali Dal lawmaker Harsimrat Kaur Badal and BJP state president Sunil Jakhar also expressed solidarity with the newspaper group. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court's directive restraining the Bhagwant Mann government from taking coercive measures that could disrupt the publication of the Punjab Kesari group's newspapers, calling it a strong indictment of the Aam Aadmi Party's functioning in Punjab. Chugh said the order was not merely a relief for the media group but a commentary on what he described as the "authoritarian and vindictive" style of governance adopted by the Arvind Kejriwal-Bhagwant Mann dispensation....