Chandigarh, January 2
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, accusing it of callousness, misplaced priorities, and severe financial mismanagement after social security pensions were allegedly denied to 35.27 lakh beneficiaries across the state.
Bajwa said lakhs of senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable sections have been forced to wait for months for their rightful pensions—amounts that constitute their only means of survival—while the Bhagwant Mann government continues to splurge crores of public money on advertisements, publicity campaigns, and self-promotion.
“It is a moral failure of the highest order. A government that came to power claiming to represent the poor has completely abandoned Punjab’s most marginalised citizens. For these pensioners, this is not charity—it is their right. Denying them even this meager support is nothing short of cruelty,” Bajwa said.
Questioning the government’s credibility, the Congress leader asked how the Mann government could announce new welfare schemes, including health insurance programmes, while failing to ensure timely disbursal of existing social security pensions. “Before making flashy announcements and selling illusions of welfare, the government must first clear the dues of those who are already suffering because of its negligence,” he asserted.
Bajwa further alleged that four years of AAP rule have pushed Punjab into deep financial distress. “Reckless economic mismanagement has brought the state to the brink of fiscal collapse. Today, even routine administrative expenses are being met through borrowed money, while the weakest sections are made to pay the price,” he said.
Taking a direct swipe at AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Bajwa said the much-touted claims of being a ‘revenue expert’ stand thoroughly exposed in Punjab. “Kejriwal’s lectures on financial prudence ring hollow when pensioners are denied their dues and the state sinks deeper into economic chaos,” he remarked.
Bajwa demanded the immediate release of all pending pension payments, calling upon the government to stop misleading Punjabis with hollow promises and headline-grabbing announcements. “This betrayal of trust will not be forgotten. The people of Punjab are watching—and they will hold this government accountable,” he warned.
