Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has alleged that the BJP has started “weaving a new fabricated story” of corruption in the construction of Delhi government schools.
Addressing a press conference, he also claimed that the BJP is targeting him after the CBI could not find anything against him in the excise policy case. “BJP is bringing up such a fake story of corruption under a conspiracy to close down all government schools and pave the way for opening of private schools in the national capital.”
Calling the BJP a “party of illiterates”, he alleged that at least 72,000 government schools in the states ruled by the saffron party have been closed in the past seven years to make way for the opening of private schools. Sisodia’s claims came a day after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena sought a report from the chief secretary over a delay of more than two-and-half years in acting on a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) report on an inquiry into the construction of additional classrooms in government schools.
The report found gross irregularities and procedural lapses in execution of the projects and was sent by the CVC to the vigilance secretary in February 2020, seeking comments for further investigation and action.
“Leaving aside the issue of liquor, they have now started raising a new fabricated story of scam in construction of Delhi government school buildings since yesterday,” Sisodia told the press conference, without referring to the LG’s directive to the chief secretary.
“They are doing this under a conspiracy as the Delhi government schools have been providing quality education to its students with a world-class standard of pedagogy, state-of-the-art buildings and other infrastructure, he claimed. The Kejriwal dispensation is being appreciated all over the world for transforming the Delhi government schools, he said. They are worried that people will start raising questions on their model of education which promotes opening of private schools if they understand that it is possible to improve the performance of government schools and make them better than the private schools…They want to ruin the country,” Sisodia added.
Citing government data, Sisodia said that at least 72,000 government schools have been closed in the BJP-ruled states in the last seven years to make way for 12,000 private schools, while the Kejriwal government built 700 new school buildings in the national capital since 2015.
He said the Delhi government has spent money on providing schools with state-of-the-art buildings and other infrastructure. “Cost will increase when you spend money on building amazing schools with good tiles, good desks and washrooms. It is the government’s responsibility to provide good schools to children,” he said.
