As Kejriwal tries to provoke students over NEET and CUET, farmers and teachers hit the streets against the AAP government in Punjab

Farmers and teachers protest against the AAP government in Punjab over pending demands.
Punjab farmers and computer teachers hit the streets as AAP faces governance questions. (Image: Tribune/File)

While Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has been busy trying to stir students over NEET and CUET, his own party’s government in Punjab is facing protests from farmers and teachers. Notably, the AAP led Punjab government under CM Bhagwant Mann’s leadership is facing a crisis on multiple fronts. From drug abuse to law and order concerns, from murders in 2026 including those of three police personnel to repeated protests by employees and farmer bodies, and the inability of the government to clear arrear dues of pensioners despite strict instructions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab continues to struggle.

On 1st June, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, staged a protest at the Mohali Chandigarh border over irregularities in the functioning of land mortgage banks and the pending one time settlement scheme. The farmers had planned to march from Gurdwara Amb Sahib to the office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies in Chandigarh. However, the police stopped them at the Mohali Chandigarh border on Jail Road.

After being stopped, the protesters pitched tents in the middle of the road and continued their agitation. Farmers said that land mortgage banks had accepted blank cheques from them while disbursing loans, even though their land was already mortgaged to the bank as security. Farmer organisations claimed that in several cases, farmers were harassed even after they had repaid their loans and received clearance certificates.

They further alleged that financial irregularities had been uncovered in some cases. SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that after coming to power, the AAP government had promised to implement a one time settlement scheme for farmers indebted to the Land Mortgage Bank, similar to the schemes implemented by private banks. However, he said, the promise had not been fulfilled.

Dallewal stated that instead of resolving the problems being faced by farmers, the state government was giving priority to recovery and seizure actions. Discussions between farmers, administrative officials and bank officials continued till late evening. Following assurances received during the meeting, the proposed protest in Chandigarh was temporarily postponed.

Computer teachers protest against Punjab government

In a separate protest on Monday, the Computer Teachers Union, Punjab, staged a sit in around the DGSE office for three hours. The teachers were protesting against the Punjab government’s failure to fulfil its promises regarding regularisation and the department’s alleged anti computer teacher policies.

The teachers later launched a march towards Chandigarh, but the police attempted to stop them by erecting barricades. The protest led to considerable tension between the police and the teachers. Eventually, under pressure, a meeting between the union and the sub committee was scheduled for 3rd June.

State union leaders said that 6,640 computer teachers in Punjab had been issued a regularisation notification in 2010 and were given regular appointment letters in 2011. Despite this, they said, the teachers were still being denied their rights.

The protests once again exposed the gap between the AAP government’s promises and its governance record in Punjab. The party that came to power by presenting itself as a model of clean, pro people politics now finds itself facing anger from farmers, teachers and other sections that had expected quick relief.

Kejriwal attacks Centre over NEET

While Punjab continues to face these internal challenges, Arvind Kejriwal is busy targeting the Union government over NEET and CUET. On 27th May, he criticised the Centre’s reported decision to use Air Force vehicles to prevent leaks in the NEET exam. He called it a “show” and claimed that the country’s education system had “fallen into the hands of a mafia”.

In a post on X, Kejriwal wrote, “Air Force ships will be used to prevent paper leaks in NEET. Will this stop paper leaks? How is our government talking like uneducated people? They don’t even have the intention to stop paper leaks. The country’s education system has completely fallen into the clutches of the mafia.”

He further said that everyone would have to come together to fix the system and claimed that the problem could not be solved by one person alone.

In a self made video, Kejriwal said that examination papers are conducted across the world, but they are not transported in “Air Force bulletproof trucks”. He alleged that the government was only pretending to act and had no real intention to fix the system. “The leaks will continue,” he claimed.

Kejriwal had also taken a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over disruptions in the Common University Entrance Test, CUET UG 2026. His remarks came after reports of technical glitches delaying examinations at several CUET centres across the country on Friday, causing concern among students and parents. Responding to a post by AAP leader Atishi about difficulties faced by students at an examination centre in Varanasi, Kejriwal wrote, “The country needs an educated PM.”

Punjab under stress while Kejriwal looks elsewhere

Kejriwal’s comments came at a time when the AAP government in Punjab is battling serious questions over governance. Farmers are protesting for one reason or another continuously. Teachers are agitated over regularisation and service rights. Law and order has remained a major concern. Several murders have been reported in the state in 2026 alone, including the killings of three police personnel. The drug crisis, despite efforts from the police and administration, continues to haunt the state. Most of the tall promises made by AAP before coming to power remain unfulfilled, with state Assembly elections scheduled in 2027.

Kejriwal has been consistently attempting to project himself as the voice of students across the country. However, the only state where his own party is in power is witnessing unrest from farmers, teachers and employees. Instead of first answering why promises made in Punjab remain unfulfilled, AAP’s top leadership is once again trying to create a national spectacle over another issue.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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