Salaries Not Paid On Account Of Internal & External Audits

Hello to all HR Proffesionals & Experts,
I need your advise and views on the following points:
Usually salaries are paid by 10th of every month, but this month our management was out of station and no alternate arrangements were done to release the salaries. Further when staff inquired, everyone was told that as Audits were going on, salaries will be delayed. (No auditor seen in the office)
Today being 23rd of the month, management is back and no auditor being seen, everyone has started questioning about salaries. Further on this day management askes to put down the circular, regarding Internal & External Audit for next 30 days and no salaries and payments to be done.
I want to know if this is correct way of communicating to the team, with no assurance if both months payments will be done together.
Please advise on the same.

Dear Sadaf,
Kindly do remember that salary is a statutory right of each and every employee. Their family depends on it. How any one can stop it?. It can lead to very ugly legal situation.

What ever happening in your organisation is purely wrong on legal as well as on humanitarian ground. Your employees have full rights to go to labour office and complain for the same. Situation may get worst if and any political party will fall in this matter along with there union. Thus you need to take care of the situation and pay the dues at the earliest. Audit can never be the reason for delay in payment.

Dear Miss Sadaf, if your Establishment is Employing more than 1000 Employees, Salary to be disbursed on or before 10th of the succeeding Month, if you are Employing less than 1000 Employees, Salary to be paid on or before 7th of the Month as per The payment of Wages Act, 1936.
Excuse of Internal/external Audit is not legally tenable.being HR Manager you have to inform your Employer about this without any further delay.Further all your Statutory payments will also get delayed warranting Interest/penalty, Notice etc