Delhi Vs Assam: Kejriwal, Himanta Engage In War Of Words Over Education In Government Schools

Reacting to a news report that the Assam government had chosen to close 34 schools owing to subpar performance, the argument started.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Source : Getty Images

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, and Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, got into a Twitter argument on Friday about the educational policies put in place in their respective states, news agency ANI reported.

Reacting to a news report that the Assam government had chosen to close 34 schools owing to subpar performance, the argument started. Kejriwal asserted that closing schools wasn't the answer.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal stated: “Shutting down schools is not the solution. We need to open many new schools all over the country. Instead of closing schools, improve the school and provide better education."

Sarma, the chief minister of Assam and a prominent member of the BJP, responded to the tweet angrily, saying that Kejriwal had neglected his "homework" before responding. He also inquired about the number of new schools that the Delhi administration under Kejriwal had built.

“Dear @ArvindKejriwal Ji. – As usual you commented on something without any homework! Since my days as Edu Minister, till now, please note, Assam Govt has established/ taken over 8610 NEW SCHOOLS; break-up below. How many new schools Delhi Government has started in the last 7 yrs?” Sarma responded. 

Sarma also listed numbers related to schools that the Assam government had taken into its fold.

“Provincialisation or taking over pvt schools into govt fold since 2013: Elementary 6802; Secondary 1589 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya:81 Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Avashik Vidayalaya:3 Adarsha Vidyalaya:38 Tea Garden Model School:97 Curious to know Delhi’s figures!,” Sarma added.

The AAP leader Kejriwal then said that his intention was not to draw attention to the "flaws" in the Assam educational model and advised Sarma to demonstrate the positive work being done in the field of education. Sarma could see the job his administration had done, Kejriwal added.

“Oho. Looks like you got it wrong. I didn’t mean to highlight your flaws. We are all one country. We have to learn from each other. Only then will India become number one country. I will come to Assam. Tell me when can I come? You show your good work in the field of education. You come to Delhi, I will show you the work I have done in Delhi,” Kejriwal stated.

Sarma, on the other hand, attempted to argue that the two states' conditions were vastly different.

“Dear @ArvindKejriwal Ji, Your ignorance is painful. Let me help you. Assam is 50 times bigger than Delhi! Our 44,521 govt schools teach 65 lakh students- against your 1000+ odd schools. Our army of dedicated teachers number 2+ lakh; Midday meal workers 1.18 lakh. Fathom it?” he said. 

Assam, he noted, faced terrible problems like as flooding and militancy while yet providing high-quality education. He encouraged the Chief Minister of Delhi to visit Assam and see the difficulties firsthand.

“Unlike in Delhi, we manage fury of floods, dealt with militancy, negotiate hilly & tough terrains – and yet deliver high quality education. We’re amazing hosts. Please come; spend 2 nights in our riverine area and hill districts. See challenges we face. You’ll stop lecturing,” tweeted Sarma.

Both chief ministers' tweets quickly went viral. In recent times, the BJP and AAP have been criticising each other on a variety of subjects. The CBI's investigation of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has heightened the conflict.

In connection with a defamation lawsuit, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia has been asked to appear before a Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Assam's Kamrup district on September 29.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the lawsuit against Sisodia.

During a news conference a few months ago, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader claimed that the Assam government had awarded contracts to Sarma's wife's company and son's business partner to deliver Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits at market rates during the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020. Sarma had refuted the claims and sued Sisodia for defamation.

(With Inputs From ANI)