Chandigarh, April 23
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a ban on the proposed ZEE5 docu-series “Lawrence of Punjab”, alleging that it risks glorifying gangster culture and could have an adverse impact on young audiences.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Warring said the series is based on the life of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and claimed it portrays individuals involved in serious criminal cases, including the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, in a manner that could glorify crime.
Warring said there was strong opposition to the project in Punjab, adding that the state’s cultural and historical identity should not be associated with criminal elements. He further stated that glorification of such narratives could have “dangerous and disastrous” consequences for impressionable minds and urged the Center to intervene to stop its release.
He also requested directions to the Ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Information Technology to block the release of the docu-series.
Separately, Warring has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a stay on the release of the series, which is scheduled to stream on April 27. In his petition, he cited public interest concerns and the prevailing socio-criminal situation in Punjab.
The makers of the docu-series have stated that the project examines the trajectory of a criminal identity within broader social and institutional contexts, including politics, music, ideology and media attention.
Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in a Gujarat jail, is facing multiple criminal cases and has been named as an accused in several high-profile investigations, including the Sidhu Moosewala murder case.
