New Delhi : BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government of failing to clear pending dearness allowance (DA) dues of state government employees and alleged that the delay had triggered widespread protests across the state.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Bhandari alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal were jointly responsible for the state’s financial difficulties and accused them of “looting Punjab”.
Bhandari claimed that more than three lakh government employees were protesting at different locations in Punjab over the non-payment of their pending DA. He said more than 35 per cent of the protesters were women and alleged that employees had been misled by the AAP government’s earlier assurances of an 18 per cent DA increase.
“Whenever are you clearing the DA of more than three lakh employees?” Bhandari asked, directing the question at Kejriwal. He warned that the government should release the pending DA within 24 hours, claiming that failure to do so would amount to disregarding the dignity of Punjab’s people.
Employee organisations have reportedly been demanding the release of pending DA and arrears, along with other measures including restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, regularisation of contractual employees and changes to the probation policy for new recruits. Unions have said that the DA gap had reached 18 percentage points as of January 1, 2026, with no further instalment released since January 2023.
Bhandari also alleged that the Punjab government had failed to address vacancies in the education sector. Citing figures during the press conference, he claimed that:
- 31,370 teaching posts were vacant in Punjab;
- 2,424 posts were vacant in colleges and universities;
- 2,952 posts were vacant in higher education; and
- More than 40 per cent of posts in government teacher-training institutes were vacant.
He alleged that the government was neglecting both its employees and the state’s education system, arguing that even serving employees had not received their pending DA.
Allegations Over Punjab’s Debt
The BJP spokesperson also accused the AAP government of increasing Punjab’s debt burden. He claimed that the state’s debt amounted to approximately ₹1.23 lakh per person.
Bhandari compared the AAP government’s functioning in Punjab with its record in Delhi and repeated the BJP’s allegations of corruption against the party’s leadership. Referring to the controversy surrounding the former Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence, he alleged that the same model of governance was being implemented in Punjab, where political leaders benefited while ordinary citizens and government employees continued to face financial pressure.
He further claimed that the delay in clearing DA dues reflected the government’s inability to manage the state’s finances and accused the AAP leadership of placing Punjab’s people under increasing debt.
The BJP’s remarks came as employee organisations held a statewide protest, or “maha hartal”, over their demands. The action was expected to affect work in government offices, schools, revenue offices and outpatient departments at state-run hospitals.
The Punjab government has scheduled discussions with employee representatives amid the protests. The BJP’s claims regarding the number of protesters, the share of women participants, vacancies and the per-capita debt figure remain political assertions and would require confirmation from official government data.