BJP targets AAP government over employee protests, ‘unfulfilled’ promises in Punjab

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (August 31, 2026) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of suppressing government employees and failing to fulfil its 2022 election promises.

At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that about three lakh employees, including contractual workers, and 3.5 lakh pensioners were protesting across all 23 districts, demanding regularisation of jobs, release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA), and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Mr. Bhatia alleged that despite promising those measures, the AAP government had neither implemented regularisation nor released the pending DA, while no proper framework for OPS had been prepared. He criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for allegedly refusing dialogue until the strike was withdrawn and cited a government order purportedly directing the authorities to identify protesters.

The BJP leader called the Chief Minister’s approach “undemocratic” and questioned why AAP’s own protests were considered democratic while public protests were allegedly met with repression. He also condemned the reported baton-charges against the protesting teachers, Anganwadi workers, sanitation workers and others.

Mr. Bhatia demanded that Mr. Mann and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal should clarify when the demands related to DA, regularisation, and OPS would be implemented, stating that the ongoing deadlock should be resolved through dialogue.