New Delhi, Jun 26 (IANS): The Congress on Saturday accused the Union government of adopting a malevolent approach towards scores of Central government employees, Army staff and pensioners with regard to the payment of dearness allowance (DA) and demanded immediate repayment of arrears .

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "This non-payment highlights and underlines the clear hypocrisy and double standard of the government, which speaks in two voices because these figures are undeniable, well-known and universal."

"These is a mischievous, malevolent and Machiavellian approach, which needs to be immediately rectified, at least from July 1 onwards, both in terms of the past and the future," he added.

Singhvi said that on April 23, 2020, the government had kicked the people's stomachs by cutting Rs 37,500 crore, which was admittedly payable as DA by the 7th Pay Commission to 115 lakh army staff, pensioners from the armed forces, and serving employees and pensioners of the Central government.