Wave of Discontent Sweeps Punjab as AAP Government Faces Multiple Challenges
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab is currently grappling with an unprecedented wave of public dissatisfaction as multiple segments of society, from farmers to professionals, have taken to the streets to voice their grievances. What began as isolated incidents has now snowballed into a significant challenge for the ruling party, testing its popularity just years after coming to power with a massive mandate.
Series of Public Confrontations Rock AAP Leadership
The first major flashpoint occurred on November 15 in Ferozepur city following the murder of RSS volunteer Naveen Arora. When local AAP MLA Ranbir Singh Bhullar visited the victim's house to offer condolences, he was met with angry family members and residents who questioned his presence. The crowd demanded concrete action rather than symbolic visits, telling him to "go to the police and get the case solved." Despite three arrests in the case, the main shooters remain at large, adding to public frustration.
Just three days later, on November 18, another AAP leader faced public wrath. Ferozepur Rural MLA Rajnish Kumar Dahiya encountered a hostile situation in Suliana village during the inauguration of a public park. Villagers accused him of delaying development works in the constituency, leading to late completion of projects. The confrontation escalated to brief stone-pelting, though no injuries were reported.
Lakhbir Singh, a resident of Jhok Hari Har village, highlighted the irony of the situation: "During the 2022 poll campaign, AAP leaders themselves used to promote stone pelting to show anger to the then ruling party leaders over non-performance, and now they are likely to get a taste of it themselves."
Controversial Remarks and Professional Protests
The discontent spread beyond rural areas to urban centers and professional communities. On November 20, a fresh controversy emerged during a protest in Kharar town against the state government's decision to merge 35 villages of Mohali constituency into Rupnagar district.
AAP MLA Dr Charanjit Singh, representing Chamkaur Sahib of Rupnagar district, made a remark that would haunt the party: "I am an educated doctor, an ophthalmologist, and I do not like it when a 10th pass person asks me questions." The statement triggered immediate backlash from protestors, including lawyers and residents, who retorted that the MLA should first check the qualifications of his own party members.
The legal community joined the protests on November 22 when the District Bar Association of Sangrur blocked the Ludhiana-Delhi National Highway for nearly four hours. They accused Sangrur AAP MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj of political interference in a private land dispute pending before a civil court. The bar association has unanimously barred her from its functions and given a 10-day ultimatum to the administration.
Farmers' Resurgence and Government Employee Unrest
As the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) prepares to hold a statewide protest at Chandigarh's Sector 43 ground to mark five years of its historic struggle against the now-repealed farm laws, the discovery of stolen tractor-trolley parts has reignited farmer anger. On November 19, parts of tractor-trolleys—allegedly stolen on March 19, 2025—were recovered from the compound of the executive officer's residence in Nabha.
Farmers have alleged involvement of suspended AAP leader Pankaj Pappu in the matter. Gamdoor Singh of Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta Azad stated, "The Nabha MLA Dev Mann from AAP protects leaders like Pappu due to which such incidents happen." The party has since suspended Pappu and his wife from party activities in damage control measures.
Meanwhile, the Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers Association (PSEBEA) has escalated its confrontation with the state power minister Sanjeev Arora. The engineers allege excessive political interference in Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), particularly after the suspension of chief engineer Harish Sharma on November 2 and the termination of director generation Harjeet Singh on November 4.
The engineers will begin a statewide agitation by boycotting all official WhatsApp groups, with a large protest planned for December 2 in Patiala. Additionally, government employees under the Purani Pension Bahali Sangharsh Committee, contractual education department employees seeking regularization, and various other unions continue their protests against the state government.
The convergence of these multiple protests across different sections of society presents one of the most significant challenges to the AAP government since it came to power in Punjab. With farmers, professionals, and ordinary citizens all expressing dissatisfaction, the party faces the difficult task of addressing these concerns while maintaining its governance agenda.
