'Lawrence of Punjab' docu-series: Cong leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa gets threat message

Chandigarh: Congress MP and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Saturday said he has received a threatening message from the Lawrence Bishnoi group for speaking against the release of a docu-series on the gangster, 'Lawrence of Punjab'.

Randhawa received the WhatsApp message from an unknown number.



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In the threat message, the names of other persons including Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, DGP Gaurav Yadav, Balkaur Singh, father of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala were also mentioned.

Congress MP from Gurdaspur, Randhawa, had opposed the release of Lawrence of Punjab, saying it would glorify the gangster culture. Punjab Congress chief Warring had also sought a ban on the release and had even moved the Punjab and Haryana High court against it.

The Union ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Friday advised ZEE5 not to release the docu-series after Punjab Police expressed apprehension that it poses a significant risk to public order.

Punjab Police had earlier urged the Centre to pass necessary directions to direct ZEE5 to refrain from airing the docu-series, apprehending that it poses a significant risk to public order.

The cybercime division of the Punjab Police also cited that availability of such content increases the risk of youth being influenced and drawn towards criminal or gangster-related activities.

'Lawrence of Punjab' was to be released on ZEE5 on April 27. According to the makers, the show "traces the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility" and treats Bishnoi as a case study in the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology and media amplification.

Bishnoi, 33, currently lodged in a Gujarat jail, has been facing multiple criminal cases. He is one of the main accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala.

Bishnoi, a product of a gangster-terror network nexus, has also been named by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in several high-profile cases.