Chandigarh, May 2
Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa today strongly condemned the Aam Aadmi Party government lead by Bhagwant Mann in Punjab for challenging the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing it to grant Dearness Allowance (DA) to employees and pensioners on the central government pattern.
Bajwa said the move has completely exposed the AAP’s hypocrisy and anti-employee mindset. “What makes it worse is that the government chose to approach the court on May 1 itself—the very day it was holding a special session in the name of workers and labourers. This is not coincidence, this is calculated duplicity,” he remarked.
Bajwa pointed out that lakhs of employees and pensioners, who form the backbone of the state administration, have been waiting for their legitimate dues, while the government continues to spend lavishly on advertisements and publicity campaigns. “The issue is not financial incapacity but misplaced priorities,” he added.
“The Congress Party stands firmly with government employees and pensioners. We will not allow their rights to be trampled upon,” Bajwa asserted.
“I have told the CM from the floor of the house that salaries of CM, LOP, Cabinet members, MLAs and IAS, IPS officers should be withheld until legitimate dues of government employees are cleared,” said Bajwa.
Bajwa further accused the AAP government of betraying its promises, recalling its backtracking on the Old Pension Scheme as yet another blow to the workforce. “First they issues the notification of the old pension scheme and then didn’t implement it, now the DA denial, this government has consistently failed those who keep the system running,” he said.
Bajwa reiterated that government employees are the backbone of Punjab’s administration. “It is their tireless work that keeps the state functioning. Undermining them is equivalent to weakening the entire governance structure,” he noted.
Calling out the contradiction in AAP’s actions, Bajwa said, “On one hand, they were delivering speeches honouring workers; on the other, they were already in court the same day seeking to deny them their dues. This is a classic case of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.”
Bajwa concluded by stating that the people of employees are seeing through this duplicity and will teach the AAP a lesson in the forthcoming elections.
