Newspaper circulation across Punjab was disrupted early Saturday after police conducted overnight checks on vehicles transporting newspapers, citing suspicions of drug and arms smuggling. The operation, which began around 10 pm on Friday and continued until morning, led to delays in newspaper delivery in several districts across the state.

According to reports, vehicles carrying newspapers were stopped at multiple checkpoints for inspection, and in some cases, dog squads were brought in to assist the searches. Some vehicles were taken to police stations for detailed examination. No senior Punjab Police official, however, issued an official statement on the matter.

The checking drive affected most newspaper distribution centres, delaying delivery in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Moga, Ferozepur, Kotkapura, Pathankot, Fazilka, Abohar, and Barnala. Distributors and hawkers expressed anger over the disruption, claiming that the police appeared to focus on vehicles belonging to two particular publications.

In Ludhiana, where the impact was most visible, newspaper-laden vehicles were stopped and searched in several parts of the city. Many residents received their papers only after 8 am. Distributors said the disruption was particularly difficult today (Sunday), when the workload is already heavier.

A distributor from Amritsar, Jeevan Kumar, said his vehicle was stopped at the Dhilwan toll plaza around 4 am. Police personnel allegedly took away drivers’ mobile phones before escorting the vehicles to Amritsar’s Golden Gate, where dog squads were called in. Newspaper bundles were unloaded, opened, and checked thoroughly, delaying supply to several rural areas until late morning.

Acting Ludhiana Kotwali SHO Sulakhan Singh confirmed that a “naka” operation was conducted from 10 pm to 6 am as part of a routine anti-smuggling drive. He, however, refrained from commenting on whether newspaper carriers were specifically targeted, noting that only senior officials could clarify that aspect.

The move triggered sharp political backlash. Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment, Pargat Singh, denounced the operation as a “direct attack on press freedom.” In a social media post, he accused the state government of deliberately obstructing newspaper distribution to prevent coverage of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s stay at a government residence in Chandigarh.

Punjab BJP’s acting president Ashwani Sharma also criticised the operation, calling it an “undeclared emergency” in the state. He alleged that the AAP government was “intimidating the media” after reports surfaced about the so-called “Sheesh Mahal” controversy involving government accommodations.

Opposition leaders claimed this was the first instance since the Emergency when such action was taken to “suppress the voice of the media” in Punjab.