Ahead of 2027 Punjab polls, OPS and other govt. employee issues come back to haunt AAP
Scores of State government employees and pensioners on August 7 staged an ‘anti-government’ demonstration in Chandigarh
Ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faces growing discontent from government employees, particularly over the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). On August 7, 2026, scores of employees gathered in Chandigarh to protest against the AAP government, which had promised to fulfill their demands during the 2022 poll.
The protesters, representing various employee organizations, were dispersed by the Chandigarh Police using water cannons when they attempted to march towards the Punjab State Assembly. Sukhchain Singh Khaira, a spokesperson for the protesting staff, expressed frustration, stating that the government had only been giving assurances and not delivering on promises.
The Opposition parties, including the Congress and BJP, have criticized the AAP government for ignoring the legitimate demands of employees, with the Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa reaffirming his support for the protesting employees. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal accused the AAP government of treating its employees like enemies, further fueling the controversy ahead of the upcoming polls.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
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