AAP slams Jai Ram govt over ‘deteriorating’ education system; baseless allegation, says BJP
The Aam Aadmi Party, which is trying to make inroads into the bipolar politics in Himachal, on Tuesday announced that education and healthcare will be its main poll planks in the state assembly elections scheduled for later this year.
AAP leader and Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday interacted with students and teachers to get the first-hand account of the education standards in Himachal Pradesh.
“The Jai Ram government has ruined the education system in the state where government schools are being closed down, while private schools are given free hand to loot the public,” Sisodia said at an event in Shimla.
“I was delighted to know that people of Himachal have become aware of the education of their children and perhaps for the first time in the country, a debate is being held on education in a poll-bound state,” he added.
“It’s a historic day for Himachal that people from different sections and far-off places have come here to discuss the education quality in the state. The facts you have told me paints a grim picture of education in the hill state,” Sisodia said.
He said the AAP government in Delhi improved the education quality in the Capital’s government schools. “If it happened in Delhi, it can also happen in Himachal,” he said, adding that the Congress was equally to be blamed for the poor condition of state’s government schools.
BJP’s chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma, meanwhile, termed Sisodia’s allegation of poor education standards baseless. In terms of progress in education, Himachal is only in competition with Kerela and its literacy rate is more than 96%, he added. “We would like to ask Sisodia where Delhi stands in terms of education. It is way behind HP,” he said, adding, “Sisodia is making misleading claims to draw political mileage. Himachal’s topography is different from Delhi’s, so there is no need of drawing a parallel.”