Just hours before Raksha Bandhan, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s much-publicised “Tu Tu” catchphrase — used to mimic the sound of mobile SMS alerts while announcing cash transfers to women beneficiaries — drew sharp criticism from protesting government employees. The employees accused the government of spending money on freebies while denying dearness allowance (DA) and other benefits to the government employees.On the occasion of Rakhar Punya (Raksha Bandhan), Mann announced the direct transfer of financial assistance into the bank accounts of over 76 lakh women under the state’s flagship Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojna.Unprecedented scene unfolded inside Punjab civil secretariat as protesting government employees raised ‘Go Back’ slogans against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and accused the former Delhi CM for leaving the state in a financial mess.Hundreds of government employees and pensioners gathered on the ground floor of the secretariat, housing the office of CM, DGP and other top ministers and officials, and raised slogans against leadership from Delhi for using the state as a ‘rubber stamp.’The slogans of employees took a political colour after they raised the issue of ED probes, transferring of funds from GMADA and corruption allegations against CM’s wife Gurpreet Kaur’s relatives. The protesting employees demanded that the Punjab secretariat should be run from Punjab and not from Delhi.The employees got the backing of politicians from Opposition parties. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, while reacting to reports that Mann had cancelled his meeting with the striking employees and that the government was planning punitive measures against the employees, said this only shows the dictatorial and autocratic way of functioning of the Chief Minister and his government.SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said first they deny them their DA, then lathicharge them and when they protest, the government tries to arm-twist them by sending notices.“I strongly condemn this unprovoked action that AAP Punjab is taking against those who are the backbone of the Punjab administration,” said Badal.Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar-Surjit) president Giani Harpreet Singh said that instead of turning every issue into a matter of prestige, the government should listen to the employees’ concerns with sympathy.Suffering from a misconception, it appears to believe that it can suppress everyone through coercion. This is why the government has even hesitated to comply with court orders regarding the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA).