AAP’s selfie campaign to ‘expose’ bad condition of govt schools in Uttarakhand

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Uttarakhand unit has begun a "selfie with school" campaign in a fresh attack on the BJP government in the state ahead of 2022 state assembly polls.

Under the campaign, the party has asked the people of the state to send them photographs of the government schools in dilapidated condition in their respective areas. The party then organizes an exhibition of such photographs in their district offices with the first such exhibition held on January 15.

The AAP state leaders have been attacking the BJP led state government alleging it of "doing nothing on the educational system" in the state but "misleading" people.

Earlier this month, the two parties had sparred over a live debate challenge by senior AAP leader and deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia in Dehradun in which Uttarakhand minister Madan Kaushik did not show up.

Sanjay Bhatt, AAP’s spokesperson in Uttarakhand said, "We decided to launch the campaign after BJP attacked Sisodia when he returned to Delhi after completing his Dehradun visit in January first week. Minister Kaushik didn't accept his debate challenge on the development issue but attacked him after he returned."

"The BJP leaders in their attack on the AAP government in Delhi had claimed that Uttarakhand has better schools than Delhi. With this campaign of ours, we have exposed them as people have sent hundreds of photographs showing schools in very bad condition," said Bhatt.

The AAP leader while citing the photographs received under the campaign alleged the BJP government of making "hollow claims and misleading the people."

"The government had claimed that the state has better schools than Delhi but the photographs have totally exposed them. They have done nothing to improve the condition of schools where learning is no less than a survival test for both children and teachers," said Bhatt.

He added, "We will continue the campaign and hold more exhibitions like this to further expose the BJP government."

The BJP termed the AAP's campaign as a political "gimmick" to grab attention in the state's political scenario where they have "no presence."

"AAP has absolutely no ideology of its own and just misleads the people with lies and hollow claims. People of Uttarakhand will not fall for their lies as they know that our government has done a lot of development works after coming to power in 2017," said Manveer Singh Chauhan, BJP media in-charge.