From ‘Dharna Mukt’ to ‘Dharna Yukt’ State: Dewan accuses Mann of betraying Punjab

Ludhiana, July 25, 2026: Former President of the District Congress Committee, Ludhiana (Urban) and former Chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board, Pawan Dewan, unleashed a blistering attack on the Bhagwant Mann led AAP government in Punjab, accusing it of betraying pre poll promises and turning a blind eye to the genuine concerns of the people. Dewan said that ever since AAP assumed power, Punjab has been gripped by a relentless wave of protests. From employees’ unions and farmers to unemployed youth, power corporation employees, sanitation workers — virtually every section of society has been compelled to take to the streets, staging dharnas to press for their rightful demands. 
In a hard hitting statement, Dewan said, “Just days ago, MGNREGA workers demanding regularisation and months of unpaid wages were met not with justice but with water cannons, tear gas and a brutal lathi charge in Khanna. On Wednesday, sanitation workers in Barnala faced the same ruthless treatment. What makes this even more disgraceful is that women protesters were mercilessly beaten in full public view. This is not governance—it is sheer lawlessness, a descent into anarchy.”
Dewan further said these are not isolated incidents, adding that ever since the AAP government came to power, it has ruthlessly suppressed employees and unions across departments. “From the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited and even rural medical officers serving in villages—every section has been forced to stage dharnas against the government,” he charged, adding that instead of making Punjab ‘Dharna Mukt’ as promised, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has turned it into a ‘Dharna Yukt’ state.
Dewan further said the real shame lies in the fact that instead of addressing the grievances of protesters, Mann continues to issue highly insensitive remarks. “In one of his statements, Mann dismissed employees by saying they sit on dharna without any reason,” Dewan noted. He pointed out that Mann even went on record saying, “Pehle dharne ke liye wajah dhoondte the, ab dharne ke liye jagah dhoondte hai’ (Earlier they searched for reasons to protest; now they search for places to protest). Such comments are utterly unacceptable.” 
Dewan concluded with a fierce warning: “In a democracy, peaceful protest is the fundamental right of every citizen, yet the AAP government seeks to crush it with a dictatorial hand. They fail to realize that their arrogance has an expiry date—Punjab’s people are counting the days to throw them out of power.”