Amid rising discontent in Punjab, AAP MLAs face public ire over unfulfilled promises, ‘arrogant' conduct

Indian Express

22-04-2025

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs across Punjab have been facing rising public ire, particularly in villages, over unfulfilled promises, unanswered queries, 'arrogant' conduct, and even for taking credit for community-funded projects. Protests led by farmers' unions, student groups, and teachers' associations have been increasingly frequent in several constituencies.
While some party leaders avoid meeting the protesters altogether, a few others have lost their cool when confronted with queries. Even as the demonstrations intensify, the government does not appear to have taken any concrete action or conciliatory measures to alleviate public concerns.
Last week, Batala MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi was surrounded by farmers protesting under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee. While the legislator was initially calm and talked to the farmers while standing on the bonnet of his vehicle, when the protesters started raising slogans against the AAP, Kalsi repeatedly shouted ' Aam Aadmi Party Zindabad' to counter them. The crowd gradually dispersed, but the incident left a strong mark.
The farmer union members had sought to know why the police acted against farmers at Shambhu and Khanauri borders when their talks were on with the Union government – a question now every MLA faces from SKM (non-political) and KMM protesters. They also asked why no action was taken against those who 'stole the trolleys and belongings of farmers' from the protest sites.
Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was also targeted multiple times, including by protesters who gathered outside his house in Kotkapura and by the Punjab Students' Union at Brajindra College, Faridkot. During an address at a government high school in Surgapuri village last week, Sandhwan appeared to mock protesters by saying, 'Many idle persons come holding flags'. This remark drew a strong reaction from Jagjit Singh Dallewal, convenor of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political), who reminded Sandhwan that he had once joined similar protests.
'We will continue confronting them. People in power are answerable,' Dallewal said. 'I want to ask Sandhwan why he used to sit in the dharnas of these 'idle persons' earlier, and once these 'idle persons' had even staged dharnas against an FIR lodged against him on the complaint of chemists. Sandhwan and all other AAP leaders had been sitting in farmers' dharnas when they were in the Opposition. Even when they were in power, they would come to Khanauri… They can debate with us any time,' he added.
Several other AAP MLAs have faced similar backlash in their constituencies: Dalbir Singh Tong in Baba Bakala, Naresh Kataria in Zira, Gurdev Singh Dev Mann in Nabha, Dr Balbir Singh in Patiala, Gurdit Singh Sekhon in Faridkot, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian in Lambi, and Rajneesh Dahiya in Ferozepur Rural, among others.
Punjab's Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains also attracted criticism after he remarked during a Sikhya Kranti event earlier this month that only 5 per cent of teachers' union members were 'habitual protesters'. Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) president Digvijay Pal Sharma responded sharply, highlighting the government's failure to implement promises such as implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), filling vacant posts, appointing principals in many schools currently led by acting principals, and so on.
Maur MLA Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana reportedly faces protests whenever he steps out to attend a public event. On April 17, villagers in Kothe Kaur Singh Wala protested as he arrived to 'inaugurate' a boundary wall at the local government high school, which they alleged was built four years ago and merely repainted. Villagers also claimed that three rooms built through public donations at a government senior secondary school were falsely projected as government-funded projects. The MLA eventually skipped the event, and villagers said that a secret exit had been set up to allow a safe escape for leaders during such situations.
'This is just the beginning,' warned Kaka Singh Kotra, general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur). 'Soon, they won't even be able to step out of their houses if they fail to fulfil promises… Teachers kept waiting at the school till the evening, but the MLA did not turn up.'
The discontent spans across districts — from Mansa to Amritsar and Barnala to Bathinda protesters have been carrying out flag marches, organising road blockades, and sit-ins. Though teachers' unions generally protest through their separate platforms, some, like the Unemployed Teachers' Union, staged demonstrations in Bains's constituency where force was used to disperse the agitators.
In Zira, locals claimed that MLA Naresh Kataria refused to meet protesting farmers on multiple occasions. 'We have waited outside his residence for hours on multiple occasions, but he never came out to speak to us. Recently, when confronted outside a school, he simply told us that he has no answers but will pass on our words to the Chief Minister. What is the MLA's job then? We had to ask for our pending flood compensation as well. Earlier, he used to sit in dharnas with us,' said Gurmail Singh, state committee member of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.
He added, 'On Monday, Ferozepur City MLA Ranbir Singh Bhullar told us that he would meet us after a school function but afterwards he just ran away and kept us waiting. They have lost their credibility.'
In Faridkot, MLA Gurdit Singh Sekhon allegedly walked away from a meeting when farmers questioned him about the government's failure to fulfil loan waiver promises. 'Instead of listening, he told us to submit applications at the deputy commissioner's office and left. Is this the same man who used to speak about people's rights?' asked a BKU Dakaunda member.
The legislators have also been accused of being 'arrogant' towards people. Protesters said Maiserkhana does not respond to calls or meet local farmers' delegations. 'When we try to meet him, the response is – 'MLA sahib busy ne, time nai hai (The MLA is buy, there is no time).' But they had time when elections were near,' said Kaka Singh Kotra, general secretary of BKU (Sidhupur).
Farmer leaders argue that such dismissive conduct reflects a wider disconnect between the ruling party and Punjab's rural areas, where expectations of grassroots accountability are high. When contacted, AAP's senior spokesperson Neel Garg said, 'In a democracy, everyone has the right to question leaders. But I think people should choose a different platform for asking questions. They can even have a discussion with the ministers, officials or MLAs at a chosen time.'
'However, as of now, the MLAs and ministers are busy inaugurating projects in schools and other areas which are for the benefit of the masses. So no one should stop the leaders at such occasions as the children of farmers and labourers study in such schools. Development should go on,' Garg added.
Punjab BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal responded: 'You reap what you sow. They should not be afraid to face the people. This is just the beginning. The polls are still far away.'
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) spokesperson Arshpreet Khadial said the AAP has appeared to have set a record when it comes to the most protests faced by a government. 'From farmers to assistant professors, unions to the Opposition, no one is happy with the AAP's governance as they failed to deliver the promises made. We urge the AAP not to act against the protesters as it is their fundamental right to agitate peacefully. We hope that the party, which was born out of protests, will stop acting against the demonstrators.'