Kejriwal, Pargat in Twitter war over quality of school education in Punjab

Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Punjab education minister Pargat Singh took potshots at each other over the quality of school education in the poll-bound state

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab education minister Pargat Singh on Thursday took potshots at each other over the quality of school education in the poll-bound state.

Pargat said Punjab being better than Delhi (in education) was not his personal opinion as he (AAP leader) was insinuating but based on an official national survey.

Kejriwal said the Punjab education minister was claiming that his state had the best schools and teachers were very happy. “Those who are happy with schools and the existing education system in Punjab should vote for the Congress. Those who also want in Punjab the spectacular education system that we have in Delhi should vote for us,” the AAP national convener tweeted on Pargat’s claim of a revolution taking place in education in Punjab.

The Punjab education minister immediately hit back with a series of tweets, telling Kejriwal that Punjab being better than Delhi (in education) was not his personal opinion as he (AAP leader) was insinuating but based on an official national survey. “Punjab having almost 1.5 times more teachers than Delhi for the same number of students is not an opinion or a “jumla”. In fact, it is based on an answer to a question asked by the Lok Sabha member from Punjab @BhagwantMann ji on 2nd August this year. I am really grateful to him,” he tweeted before talking about the state’s “fair and transparent” online transfer policy.

“The political sagacity of people of Punjab is never in doubt as they can easily make the difference between “asli” and “nakli” as they did in 2017 and 2019,” he wrote in another tweet.

The AAP, the principal opposition party in Punjab, replied to Pargat’s comments by tweeting photos of waterlogged schools with the caption, “Vote for Congress to get such Government Schools”. Kejriwal retweeted the post without offering any comment.

The war of words between Kejriwal and Pargat was set off by the former’s eight promises to teachers in Punjab during his two-day trip to the poll-bound state, following which Pargat hit back, call it a “cheap gimmick”.

Sisodia challenges Pargat

Giving an open challenge to Punjab education minister, Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Thursday asked him to compare his state’s 10 government schools with that of Punjab’s.

Speaking on the sidelines of a party event organised at the CII, Chandigarh, Sisodia, who also is Delhi education minister, said: “I give an open invitation to the education minister of Punjab to visit Delhi’s 10 government schools and I will visit same number of schools which the Punjab minister considers state’s best.”

Stating that elections should be fought on issue of education, Sisodia, said: “If the Punjab education system is best, people will opt for Congress and if it is Delhi’s then the people will elect the AAP.”