New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) The BJP on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government over the ongoing protests by government employees and the show-cause notices reportedly issued to those who participated in the recent statewide strike.
The protesting employees have been seeking the release of the pending 18 per cent dearness allowance (DA), implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), and regularisation of contractual employees. They have now announced plans to intensify their agitation in the coming weeks, including going on mass leave on September 8 if the AAP government does not withdraw the show-cause notices issued following the recent statewide strike.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Monday, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government of “forgetting” the promises made to the people in its election manifesto and questioned the action being taken against employees who protested over their long-pending demands.
“Three lakh government employees, including contractual employees, are on a major strike across 23 districts in Punjab, demonstrating. Alongside them, 350,000 pensioners are also supporting them and raising their demands. What are the demands? Promises were made that regularisation would happen, but it did not happen. The Dearness Allowance (DA) is still pending and is not being paid. Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann said they would introduce the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), but today, look at the situation: no blueprint has been prepared for the Old Pension Scheme either,” Bhatia said.
“Bhagwant Mann says that he would not hold any discussion until the protest ends,” he added.
The BJP leader also displayed a notice issued by the Punjab government on August 29, which, according to him, stated that once a list of employees participating in the protests is prepared, their respective departments would issue notices and initiate action against them.
“So, won’t questions be raised? You made promises — that you would provide Dearness Allowance, you said jobs would be regularised, you said OPS (Old Pension Scheme) would be implemented in Punjab. And when all these issues raised by me, which are the demands of the protesters — remain unfulfilled due to your failure, you say: first, make a list of them and take action against them… What kind of character do you have?” Bhatia said.
The BJP spokesperson also targeted the AAP government over its 2022 election promise to provide financial assistance to women in Punjab, alleging that the commitment remained unfulfilled for years.
“Four and a half years have passed, yet that promise has not been fulfilled. And now that elections are approaching, they put up a sham and a facade in July as if they have fulfilled their promise. So, while employees and workers are out on the streets protesting, hurt that you took their votes but failed to fulfil the promises made, Bhagwant Mann,” he said.
“Our sisters are also saying the same thing: that four and a half years have gone by. Where were you so busy, Bhagwant Mann Ji? Were you busy serving Arvind Kejriwal? Today, the entire world is saying this: ‘Aisa koi saga nahi, jise in papiyo ne thaga nahi (There is no one so close whom these sinners (AAP members) haven’t cheated)’,” he added.
Bhatia further accused the AAP government of adopting what he described as double standards towards protests, pointing to the party’s history of using demonstrations and sit-ins as a political tool.
“Just look at their double standards. These are the double standards of the ‘Sinful AAP’, a party that once claimed to have risen to power through protests, sit-ins, and by forming a political party, are now troubled by protests themselves. When ‘Sinful AAP’ protests, it is deemed democratic. However, when ‘Sinful AAP’s government fails to fulfil its promises, and the public, who are victimised by Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, take to the streets and protest, action is taken against them. It is labelled as indiscipline,” he added.
More than three lakh government employees had gone on a statewide strike on August 27 by taking mass casual leave, resulting in disruption to public services across Punjab.
Over 150 employee bodies under the Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch participated in the ‘maha hartal’ to press the state government to address their long-standing demands. More than 3.50 lakh pensioners also participated in the strike.
The employees have been demanding the release of 18 per cent pending dearness allowance, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme and regularisation of contractual employees.
Their other demands include minimum wages for workers of mid-day meal, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, restoration of the ACP scheme, and extension of Punjab pay scales to employees recruited after July 17, 2020.
The protesting employee leaders have alleged that repeated assurances given by the state government have not been followed by concrete action. They also claimed that the government had failed to release 18 per cent DA instalments and arrears despite directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The employees have also announced a fresh programme of protests in the coming weeks. Their proposed agitation includes gheraoing the native residences of AAP ministers and MLAs, forming a human chain across the state, organising an Employees’ Assembly on September 30 and holding a Maha Rally in Sangrur on October 10.
The employee organisations further said that they would again go on two-day mass casual leave on October 21 and 22 if the Punjab government failed to accept and implement their demands.
–IANS
sd/skp
