AAP, Congress clash in Punjab Assembly over newly launched women's allowance scheme

A political row erupted in the Punjab Legislative Assembly after the Aam Aadmi Party announced a women's allowance on International Women's Day. The Indian National Congress questioned the scheme's delay and funding. A remark by Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and a speech by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sparked accusations of insulting women.

The announcement of a monthly financial assistance scheme for women during the ongoing Punjab Vidhan Sabha Budget Session has triggered a sharp political confrontation between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Opposition Congress, with both sides accusing each other of disrespecting women.

On March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day, the Punjab government announced a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for women, with Rs 1,500 proposed for women belonging to Scheduled Castes under a new welfare scheme announced as Guarantee before polls. The government has earmarked Rs 9,300 crore for the initiative in the 2026–27 Budget.

However, opposition parties questioned the timing and feasibility of the scheme, pointing out that the promise had remained pending for nearly four years. Leaders from Congress and BJP also sought clarity on the source of funds, citing Punjab’s rising debt, which has reportedly reached around Rs 4.17 lakh crore.

The issue took a political turn on Tuesday during the Budget discussion in the Punjab Legislative Assembly after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira shared a social media post referring to a YouTube interview. In the post, Khaira allegedly said: “Women dancing on the Rs 1000 announcement, how will they contribute to Punjab’s legacy and history ?” though Khaira clarified later.

The remark sparked immediate backlash from the ruling AAP, which termed it an insult to women. The Punjab State Commission for Women took suo motu cognisance of the matter in minutes and sought a response from Khaira. Meanwhile, AAP legislators moved a censure motion against him in the Assembly over the alleged remarks. Minister Harbhajan ETO talking to India Today said “we have freedom express but we can’t violate that by giving such statements against women, what khaira said is insult of women.”

The Congress, however, countered the criticism by referring to a recent speech by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a Women’s Day event in Ludhiana and shared a video that is also circulating on social media shows Mann recalling a humorous incident from his college days involving a one-sided crush on a classmate. In the anecdote, Mann described how he and his friends would jokingly refer to the most beautiful girl in their class as their “bhabhi” and comment among themselves about the colour of her dress without her knowledge.