Punjab education festival: ‘Petty theatrics’, says opposition; AAP hits back

The opposition parties in Punjab on Monday slammed the AAP government for its ‘Sikhya Kranti’ programme, calling it “petty theatrics to gain publicity" and asked the Bhagwant Mann dispensation to improve the basic infrastructure in schools instead.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Monday launched the ‘Sikhya Kranti’, a 54-day “education festival", under which newly developed infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,000 crore in 12,000 government schools will be inaugurated.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hit back at the rival political leaders for criticising the state government’s initiative, asking what can he do if the opposition leaders are “allergic" to the “education revolution".

Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains also chided the leaders of the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP, calling their criticism of the state government’s education reforms “hypocritical and self-serving".

Mann along with former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated a new block in the ‘School of Eminence’ in Nawanshahr in SBS Nagar district. Similarly, several ministers also inaugurated government schools’ infrastructure in several places.

Reacting to the AAP government’s ‘Sikhya Kranti’ campaign, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa termed it as “petty theatrics to gain publicity".

“Instead of improving the schools’ basic infrastructure and recruiting teachers and other staff, the AAP government has embarked on an inauguration spree. Orders have been issued to install inauguration plaques for even insignificant works such as boundary wall, classroom, washroom etc. Each work will have a separate plaque, according to the written order to the teachers," Bajwa claimed in a statement.

He alleged that the AAP government had started “misusing" the teachers as its “propaganda machinery".

“Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has directed school principals, headmasters and teachers to create X accounts and post photos and other updates with the hashtag #PunjabSikhyaKranti. Are teachers of the government-run schools supposed to teach or spread AAP’s agendas?" he said.

“The AAP government does not miss a single opportunity to disseminate its propaganda even though it has failed awfully to perform in the last three years," Bajwa added.

It has been proven once again that the AAP government “relies on its fake publicity to survive" instead of delivering what it promised before and after the Punjab Assembly elections in 2022, he alleged in a statement.

SAD also alleged that the AAP government’s decision to install plaques for very minor work in government schools and conduct functions to unveil them “was a scam in the making".

In a statement here, senior party leader Daljit Singh Cheema said, “Everyone knows that the Delhi education model is a failed one. There is no sense in trying to replicate it in Punjab except to indulge in a scam through corrupt practices." BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh too hit out at the AAP government and said, “It is shocking and shameful that instead of focusing on meaningful improvements to Punjab’s crumbling education infrastructure, the AAP government is indulging in self-glorification and publicity stunts. Installing plaques bearing the names of the CM, education minister and AAP MLAs is nothing but an exercise in political vanity funded by taxpayer money," he said in a statement.

Chugh also condemned the inclusion of Sisodia’s name inscribed on a foundation stone in Nawanshahr despite not holding any constitutional post.

Reacting to the criticism by the opposition leaders, AAP leader Sisodia lauded the Mann government in Punjab and claimed that it was “working tirelessly for giving wings to the dreams of students".

He accused the BJP government in Delhi of depriving the poor families of quality education and also said private schools in the national capital have doubled their school fees to “loot" a common man.

“They should take care of parents in Delhi who are being looted," he said, directing his attack at the BJP regime in the national capital.

Education Minister Bains lashed out at the opposition leaders in Mohali for criticising the state government’s ‘Sikhya Kranti’, saying, “Those who neglected the government schools for decades seem to have a problem seeing ‘Padhda Punjab’. When Punjab’s education system was failing, they remained silent. Now that our children are thriving, they feel threatened." He added that," We inherited approximately 20,000 government schools in deplorable conditions — without boundary walls, proper bathrooms and adequate educational facilities for our children. Today, nearly every government school in Punjab has boundary walls, functional and separate toilets for girls and boys, furniture, drinking water facilities and 90 per cent have WiFi connectivity," he said.

Instead of appreciating this progress, the leaders of previous governments question why these developments are being inaugurated, he said.

Punjab