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‘Vegitables’ and ‘dear’: SAD mocks AAP over spelling errors in Punjab classroom
Taking a dig at Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said he was showing “clear signs of brain fog”.
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The AAP-led Punjab government's attempt at showcasing the state's government schools in a positive light seemingly backfired on Tuesday, after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) pointed out spelling errors in classroom charts in a video shared by education minister Harjot Singh Bains.
Sharing an image of the classroom on X, the SAD alleged that the errors reflected the poor state of government schools in Punjab and linked them to a broader decline in student enrolment.
“If this is what is being taught in Govt schools in Punjab, no wonder over 6 lakh students have dropped out from Govt schools since 2022,” the party said, reacting to a clip that showed words incorrectly spelt as “vegitables” and “dear” (referring to the animal deer) in a classroom wall.
Taking a dig at Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, the SAD said he was showing “clear signs of brain fog” and sarcastically suggested that he should try eating the right “VEGITABLES”.
The party also took aim at AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal, asking them to comment on what it called the “Sikhiya Scam” in Punjab.
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Row began over Fazilka school
The latest attack came days after a war of words between Bains and author Anand Ranganathan over the condition of a government school in Fazilka.
Ranganathan had shared pictures of a school where students were allegedly forced to study in the open after its building was damaged. He claimed the AAP government had promised to build a new school within six months and questioned where the promised building was.
“Shocking state of a school in Fazilka, Punjab, with children braving the elements and forced to study in the open. The AAP govt had promised the children a new school building within 6 months. Today, that deadline expired,” Ranganathan posted on X.
Bains hit back, saying the government was committed to improving education and that Punjab had risen from rank 27 to rank one in education, citing a NITI Aayog report.
He said the school in question, GPS Basti Hazoor Singh in Fazilka, had been inspected following the 2025 floods. Three rooms were found unsafe and declared unfit on December 8, 2025, after which orders were issued for their dismantling.
According to Bains, Class 4 and 5 students were shifted to another school within 1 km, while pre-primary to Class 3 students were studying safely in two classrooms that remained fit for use.
He also said ₹28.65 lakh had been sanctioned for three new classrooms and that construction work had started this week. The school is among 500 government schools being completely redeveloped, he added.
Bains further said Punjab suffered its worst-ever floods in 2025, damaging more than 7,000 schools, and alleged that the Centre had not provided financial assistance despite repeated requests.
SAD points at spelling errors
After Bains shared images of the school’s existing classrooms and the rooms that had been dismantled, the spelling mistakes on educational charts visible on the classroom walls drew attention online.
The SAD subsequently shared a zoomed-in image showing the words “vegitables” and “dear” and used the errors to target the state government’s education record.
The party also alleged that more than six lakh students had left government schools in Punjab since 2022, but did not provide details supporting the claim in its post.
