A political storm has erupted in Punjab over a severe shortage of teachers in government schools, after an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator broke down on camera while criticising his own government — triggering a BJP offensive and, hours later, the MLA's suspension from the party.

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

According to data presented in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, 31,370 teaching posts remain vacant across various cadres in the state's government schools. The scale of the shortage has drawn sustained protests by teachers, with demonstrations reported from Sangrur to Chandigarh, centred on unfilled vacancies and the burden of non-academic duties assigned to serving teachers.

AAP MLA's Emotional Outburst

Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana, the AAP Member of the Legislative Assembly from Maur, broke down during a live Facebook video on Saturday, 3 October 2026, while publicly criticising the Bhagwant Mann-led state government over the teacher shortage. He stated that he had repeatedly raised the issue with authorities without resolution. The video spread rapidly, drawing sharp reactions from across the political spectrum.

BJP Seizes the Moment

Ashish Usha Agarwal, BJP national media in-charge, posted on X (formerly Twitter), asking AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal why the party's stance on protests had shifted since coming to power in Punjab. 'When AAP was in the Opposition, 'dialogue' and the rights of protesters were your political language. Now that AAP is in power in Punjab, where is that same concern for protesting teachers?' Agarwal wrote. He also posted videos of teachers staging demonstrations, calling the party's position 'shameless selectivity' and adding: 'Democracy means listening to those who question you, even when you're in power.'

Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu joined the attack, saying the MLA's emotional video had 'exposed the government's claims regarding the state's education system.' He directly challenged Chief Minister Mann: 'If the Chief Minister does not have time to listen to the grievances of his own MLAs, how can the people of Punjab expect him to listen to ordinary parents, teachers and students?' Bittu said he had been raising the issue of teacher shortages and school conditions 'for months', adding that Maiserkhana's outburst had now confirmed the ground reality 'from within the party' — a reference to the state's flagship education programme, which Bittu described as the reality behind the much-publicised 'Sikhya Kranti'.

AAP Suspends the MLA

By Saturday evening, AAP Punjab had suspended Maiserkhana's primary membership with immediate effect over alleged anti-party activities and indiscipline. In a formal letter, the party stated that he had attempted to defame AAP by making 'false statements' regarding the functioning of a government school. The party specifically contested his claim that the School of Eminence at Ram Nagar in Bathinda had only one teacher. According to official records issued by the school principal on 29 September 2026, the school has 30 sanctioned teaching posts, of which 25 are currently filled — including one principal, seven lecturers, 15 Master Cadre teachers, and two Computer Science teachers — serving 580 students from Classes 6 to 12 across 19 sections.

What Comes Next

The episode places the AAP government in an awkward position: the state's 31,370 vacant teaching posts are a matter of official Vidhan Sabha record, and protests by teachers remain ongoing. The suspension of Maiserkhana may silence dissent within the party ranks, but it is unlikely to defuse the broader political pressure — particularly with the BJP now armed with an on-camera breakdown from an AAP legislator himself. How the Mann government responds to the teacher recruitment crisis in the coming weeks will determine whether this remains a political flashpoint or evolves into a governance accountability issue.