AAP, Congress Clash In Punjab Assembly Over Women’s Allowance Scheme

A political confrontation broke out in the Punjab Legislative Assembly after the ruling Aam Aadmi Party announced a new financial assistance scheme for women during the ongoing Budget session, triggering sharp criticism from the Opposition Indian National Congress.

On March 8, marking International Women’s Day, the Punjab government unveiled a welfare scheme offering a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 to women, while women from Scheduled Caste communities are proposed to receive ₹1,500. The initiative has been allocated ₹9,300 crore in the 2026–27 state budget.

However, opposition parties questioned why the promise took nearly four years to materialise and raised concerns about the financial feasibility of the scheme. Critics pointed out that Punjab’s debt has reportedly reached around ₹4.17 lakh crore and demanded clarity on how the programme would be funded.

The debate intensified during a discussion in the Assembly after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira shared a social media post referring to a YouTube interview. In the post, he allegedly questioned women celebrating the ₹1,000 allowance announcement and how it would contribute to Punjab’s legacy.

The remark drew sharp criticism from the ruling AAP, which accused Khaira of insulting women. The Punjab State Commission for Women quickly took suo motu cognisance of the issue and sought a response from the Congress leader.

AAP legislators subsequently moved a censure motion against Khaira in the Assembly over the alleged remarks. State minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said freedom of expression should not be misused to make statements that demean women.

The Congress, however, accused the ruling party of selective outrage and pointed to comments made earlier by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a Women’s Day event in Ludhiana.

In a speech, Mann narrated a humorous anecdote from his college days about a one-sided crush on a classmate. Congress leaders circulated a video of the speech on social media, claiming some of the remarks were inappropriate.

Responding to the criticism, Khaira challenged AAP leaders to first demand an apology from the Chief Minister. He alleged that Mann had used expressions such as “Patola” and other references during the anecdote and questioned why the ruling party was targeting him instead.

With both sides accusing each other of disrespecting women, the debate over the women’s allowance scheme has intensified in the Assembly, turning a welfare policy announcement into a heated political showdown between the ruling party and the Opposition.