Congress Likens Arvind Kejriwal To PM Modi: ‘Talks Of Grand Welfare Schemes, But…’

News india Congress Likens Arvind Kejriwal To PM Modi: ‘Talks Of Grand Welfare Schemes, But…’

Congress Likens Arvind Kejriwal To PM Modi: ‘Talks Of Grand Welfare Schemes, But…’

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Last Updated: August 19, 2026, 12:50 IST

Khera claimed that AAP government in Punjab had used intellectual property claims to target Facebook pages run by journalists who criticised the government.

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His remarks came after a report alleged that the Punjab government had claimed copyright ownership of at least 48 videos and posts uploaded by journalists on Facebook

The Congress on Wednesday launched a scathing attack at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing it of using copyright claims to get the Facebook pages of several journalists critical of the AAP’s Punjab government taken down.

Hiiting out at Kejriwal, Congress leader Pawan Khera dubbed him as “wannabe Modi" and accused him of adopting the same approach towards criticism that the Congress alleges is followed by the BJP-led government at the Centre.

In a post on X, Khera said that Kejriwal “promises good schools and mohalla clinics" but alleged that he has shown “no commitment to ideology" or “democratic accountability".

“He talks of grand welfare schemes, but once in power, he behaves like Modi – retreats into conspicuous silence – or enforces a choreographed silence to dodge scrutiny," Khera said.

Arvind is a wannabe ModiHe promises good schools and mohalla clinics. But he comes with no commitment to ideology, no faithfulness to democratic accountability. He talks of grand welfare schemes, but once in power, he behaves like Modi – retreats into conspicuous silence – or… https://t.co/uGDOqahgMr — Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) August 19, 2026

He also alleged that the AAP government in Punjab had used intellectual property claims to target Facebook pages run by journalists who criticised the government.

“The justification? That the critics aren’t “journalists" because they don’t hold journalism degrees. By that logic, Arvind Kejriwal isn’t a politician because he doesn’t hold a degree in Political Science – Entire or otherwise," he added.

His remarks came after a report alleged that the Punjab government had claimed copyright ownership of at least 48 videos and posts uploaded by journalists on Facebook since October last year.

According to the report by The Reporters’ Collective, four Facebook pages were taken down between January and April 2026 following copyright infringement notices, while another page was removed after a Punjab Police notice and separate copyright claims.

The five pages together had more than 30 lakh followers when they were taken down, the report said.

The report further claimed that the content flagged by AAP included photographs of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other AAP leaders, government-related material, an opposition MLA’s photograph, a government notification and even AI-generated images.

AAP-Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu reportedly defended the party’s right to issue copyright claims, saying that if videos or other content belonged to the AAP, the party could send copyright notices.

On journalists’ qualifications, Pannu reportedly said that people without proper degrees or qualifications who made “baseless allegations" against AAP could face action.

However, the report noted that journalists in India do not need a journalism degree to practise the profession. It also said three of the journalists whose pages were targeted had journalism degrees, while another was enrolled in a journalism course.

The report said Meta, which owns Facebook, later acknowledged that four of the five pages had been removed “in error" and subsequently restored them.

The journalists had appealed against the takedowns and some had also approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. One of the pages reportedly remains unavailable following a legal demand from Punjab Police.

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Key Questions Answered Powered by Ask News18 What are the implications for press freedom in India? The Congress party has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of imposing "undeclared censorship" on the media and using intellectual property claims to remove Facebook pages of journalists critical of the government. This action has led to comparisons of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal to Prime Minister Modi, with allegations that he is adopting a similar approach to criticism as the BJP-led government. Could this tactic be used by other political parties? The tactic of using intellectual property claims to target social media pages run by critical journalists has been attributed to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. Other political parties have also been accused of suppressing dissent, such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government in Andhra Pradesh using police machinery and the TVK government in Tamil Nadu allegedly removing critical news channels from a state-run cable network. Powered by Ask News18

About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre... Read More

First Published: August 19, 2026, 12:50 IST

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