Congress demands ban on Lawrence of Punjab docuseries

Punjab Congress chief labels the April 27 Zee5 release a “criminal act” that glorifies gangsterism, while the makers defend the project as a study of systemic failures.

The Congress has demanded a ban against the Zee5 docuseries, Lawrence of Punjab, with state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring announcing a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana high court to block its April 27 release.

State Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday condemned the docuseries, Lawrence of Punjab, as an affront to Punjab, Punjabis, and Punjabiyat. (HT file photo)

Warring condemned the series as an affront to “Punjab, Punjabis, and Punjabiyat,” arguing that a territory defined by the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, farmers, and soldiers should never be identified with a criminal behind bars in Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail. “This will not only promote and glorify gangster culture, it will amount to insulting Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat; the holy land of gurus, rishis and pirs will now be identified with a dreaded gangster,” he said.

Expressing grief over the loss of his friend, singer Sidhu Moosewala, who was assassinated by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang on May 29, 2022, Warring characterised the production not as art or entertainment, but as a dangerous instigation that abets youth toward a world of crime.

Kaveri Das, the business head for Hindi at Zee5, said that the docuseries is “not about glorifying individuals” but aims to examine the “ecosystem” where student politics and media amplification intersect to shape digital syndicates.

Despite these assurances that the narrative focuses on consequences and systemic failures, the Congress leadership remains steadfast, questioning the silence of both the state and central governments. Warring said that screening the journey of a man who belongs to Rajasthan would send the wrong signal to the next generation, insisting that the “identity of Punjab” must be protected from the media-led glorification of violence.

The demand for a ban is further fuelled by Bishnoi’s jail interview of 2023, with critics fearing this series will once again sanitise a criminal’s image for public entertainment.