Delhi BJP challenges Sisodia for debate on education model of AAP government

The BJP's Delhi unit has challenged the Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for a debate on the education model of the AAP government. The BJP accused AAP leaders of indulging in "political tourism" in poll-bound states.

New Delhi: The BJP's Delhi unit on Tuesday accused AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, of indulging in 'political tourism' in poll-bound states and challenged him for a debate on the education model of the Arvind Kejriwal government.

No reaction was immediately available from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.

Delhi BJP spokespersons Harish Khurana and Pooja Suri, in a joint press conference, said Sisodia and his party leaders are challenging Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments for debates on the condition of schools there, while the standard of education in Delhi was 'deteriorating'.

'The Delhi government's school education standards are fast deteriorating and instead of indulging in political tourism, the Kejriwal government should concentrate on improving it,' they said.

Citing Right to Information (RTI) replies, Khurana said that since 2015 when the AAP came to power in Delhi, there has been no increase in the number of government schools in the national capital.

'Out of the 1030 schools (in Delhi) science is taught in only 331 schools, denying students the opportunity to become a doctor or an engineer. The Kejriwal government takes pride in opening 'Excellence Schools' but even those are not new ones but old existing school buildings that are revamped,' Khurana claimed.

The AAP government claims that it was running online classes for all school students during the pandemic. But the truth is that hardly 30-40 per cent students were able to attend online classes, he alleged.

Khurana further alleged that the AAP government 'boasts' of good results in class 12 board exams but 'hides' the figures of poor results in class 10.

'When AAP came to power in 2015 the class 10 result was 98.81 per cent. But today it has gone down to 82.61 per cent. This year's Delhi government schools class 10 result is second lowest in the CBSE zones of the country,' he said, citing an RTI reply from Delhi government.

'The Kejriwal government flaunts its education model claiming (it grants) highest budget for education in the country. But between 2015 and 2020, over 50 per cent of education budget has lapsed. In 2018-19, the lapsed amount was Rs 4,896 crore,' he claimed.

Suri said AAP leaders and Sisodia, who is also Delhi's education minister, are touring Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where the party has plans to contest elections.

'They are trying to fool people in those states by their tall claims but avoiding a debate over their education model in Delhi which shows they are trying to hide their failures,' she charged.

PTI