New Delhi: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre saying that government schools in Delhi are beyond several private schools and that the BJP is a party that wants to keep the country illiterate, news agency ANI reported.
Addressing a press briefing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sisodia, who is also the education minister, said, “This (BJP) is a party of illiterates and wants to keep country illiterate. In their own states, they've shut down several government schools. They should investigate why so many government schools in their rule have shut down.”
It is to be noted that Sisodia’s remarks come a day after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena sought a report from the chief secretary over a delay of over 2.5 years in acting on a CVC report on an inquiry into the construction of additional classrooms in government schools.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the saffron party raked up the issue of Delhi government schools after it could not find anything in the investigation into the alleged anomalies in the Delhi excise policy due to which raids were conducted at Sisodia's home.
“They raided CM's office, then mine four years ago. They registered cases against 40 MLAs, didn't find anything. Then sent CBI to my house in fake excise policy case, realized they will not find anything. So, they've started something new now, on schools made,” he further said.
“Between 2015-2021, over 72000 schools were shut. Over 51000 were shut in 2018-19 itself. Private schools are thriving in areas they're (BJP) shutting govt schools in, those private schools have been built by their own MLAs. Almost 12000 private schools have been opened,” Sisodia added.
Notably, the BJP claimed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP dispensation in Delhi has opened more liquor stores in the national capital than schools and hospitals.
The latest controversy intensified ever since the New York Times did an article on the successful education model in Delhi that the BJP alleged was a “paid news item”.