On camera: AAP, BJP spokespersons' verbal tussle on Delhi streets over schools

On Wednesday, Gaurav Bhatia visited a school on the invite of Saurabh Bharadwaj. But soon after, the uproar began, with both claiming that they won the challenge by releasing videos of their versions.

The alleged school scam has turned out to be a new flashpoint between the BJP and the AAP in the national capital with national spokespersons of the two parties Gaurav Bhatia and Saurabh Bharadwaj engaging in a verbal tussle on the streets of Delhi on Wednesday.

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj speaks with BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia outside a Delhi government-run school in New Delhi.  (PTI)

Both leaders took to Twitter to share their version of the tussle. It all began during a TV show when Bhatia, the BJP spokesperson, challenged AAP's Bhardwaj to show the 500 new schools built by the Arvind Kejriwal government as promised in AAP's manifesto - the dare Bhardwaj accepted.

On Wednesday, Bhatia visited a school on the invite of Bharadwaj. But soon after, the uproar began, with both claiming that they won the challenge by releasing videos of their versions.

What happened on the TV show?

Bhatia has targeted the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, alleging a scam in the Delhi education department. Bhatia said that the Delhi government increased the budget for the construction of classrooms in its existing schools, ignoring the CPWD's norms.

During this show, Bhatia said the AAP had said in its manifesto that 500 schools will be built. “Tomorrow at 11 o'clock, I will reach wherever you say, will inspect the schools and then both will report together on this show,” Bhatia asked Bharadwaj, who was also on the show. Accepting the challenge, Bharadwaj asked Bhatia to come to Kautilya School in Chirag Enclave, Greater Kailash-1.

Both leaders had reached the place on time. During this, there were a lot of arguments between the two. Videos were made from both sides, amid sloganeering of supporters.

Bhatia and Bharadwaj reportly went to two schools, but after, the BJP spokesperson claimed that Bharadwaj could not bring the list of 500 schools, while the AAP MLA said Bhatia “run away”.

One school is old, other still being built: Bhatia

Both leaders are calling themselves winners. On Twitter, Bhatia shared two videos. With the first video, he wrote, "As promised, reached Kautilya school at 11 o'clock to get a list of 500 new schools from your spokesperson. The spokesperson did not give the list even after asking for the list once. Showed an old school as own and then was caught lying.

Along with the second video, he tweeted, “This was another school where AAP spokesperson took me along. The promise was to build 500 schools. The old was not built by the AAP government. The second school the AAP spokesperson himself admitted is being built now.”

Saurabh Bhardwaj has also released a video, in which there seems to be a lot of uproar. The AAP spokesperson, sharing his video, claimed the BJP leader refused to enter the school and "ran away". The video showed Bhatia getting into his car amid slogan-shouting by a group apparently of AAP supporters. "Bhaag gaye," Bharadwaj was heard saying.

"We told him there are 498 more schools, let us see them, but he refused and fled," Bharadwaj tweeted.