Jalandhar Cantt(Sandeep Singh Chahal)Senior Congress leader and former Punjab minister Pargat Singh has launched a sharp attack on the Punjab government, accusing it of suppressing democratic dissent and using police force against peacefully protesting unemployed youth. In a strongly worded statement shared on social media, Pargat Singh alleged that the state is witnessing disturbing signs of what he described as a “Police State,” where citizens demanding their rights are met with intimidation rather than dialogue.
Referring to a video that reportedly shows police action against protesting youth, Pargat Singh said the footage exposes how young people seeking employment opportunities are being forcibly removed and pressured for raising legitimate concerns. According to him, the scenes are deeply troubling for a state that has long prided itself on democratic values and public participation in governance.
The Congress leader recalled the recent incident outside the PSPCL office in Patiala, where unemployed youth protesting for jobs allegedly faced heavy-handed police action. Images and videos from the protest had circulated widely on social media, sparking public debate over the government’s handling of the situation. Pargat Singh argued that those scenes shocked Punjabis across the state and raised serious concerns about the treatment of young citizens seeking employment.
He further alleged that instead of initiating meaningful discussions with the protesters or addressing their grievances, the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appears to have encouraged stronger police measures aimed at dismantling demonstrations. Such actions, he claimed, send a dangerous message that public protest is being viewed as a law-and-order problem rather than a democratic right.
Pargat Singh questioned whether the government has chosen repression over dialogue. He maintained that unemployed youth are not asking for special privileges but are merely demanding employment opportunities, transparency in recruitment, and fulfillment of promises made to them. In a democratic society, he argued, such demands should be met with engagement and policy solutions rather than force.
The former hockey Olympian also expressed concern about what he described as the growing arrogance of power. According to him, governments that become disconnected from public sentiment often resort to coercive tactics to silence criticism. He warned that treating peaceful protests as security threats undermines democratic institutions and weakens public trust in governance.
The issue of unemployment remains one of the most pressing concerns in Punjab. Thousands of educated young people continue to seek stable government and private-sector employment opportunities. Various groups have organized protests in recent years to highlight delays in recruitment processes, vacant government posts, and concerns over job security. The latest controversy has once again brought the issue to the forefront of Punjab’s political discourse.
Pargat Singh concluded by stating that Punjab’s youth deserve jobs, respect, and a fair hearing. He emphasized that democratic governments must listen to citizens rather than intimidate them and warned that the people of Punjab are closely watching how the administration responds to the growing concerns of unemployed youth. The debate, he said, is no longer just about jobs but about the protection of democratic rights and the freedom to protest peacefully.