Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta on Monday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party’s education model in Delhi, calling it a flop show and said that an expose campaign regarding the same will be launched on the coming Thursday by the saffron party.
Gupta has accused the Delhi government of allegedly exploiting the concept of education revolution to construct school buildings, engaging in irregularities during construction, embezzling money, and eventually abandoning these structures.
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The BJP leader informed that in a bid to expose the alleged corruption of Delhi government, state unit chief of the saffron party Virendra Sachdeva, North West Delhi MP Yogendra Chandolia, himself and the party’s legislators lead a significant protest outside the School of Specialized Excellence (SOSE) in Dariyapur Kala village of North West Delhi on November 28.
Addressing a press conference here, Gupta alleged that the AAP has found a new way to make money through means of construction.
He further alleged that the AAP drafts massive plans under its education policy, allocates billions of rupees in the budget, constructs multi-story school buildings, embezzles funds, and quietly withdraws from projects.
Gupta also condemned an order to shut down 29 Bal Pratibha Vikas Schools, and further said that classes from 6th to 10th grade in these schools have already been discontinued, while Grade 11 will be discontinued in the 2024-25 academic year, and Grade 12 in 2025.
The BJP leader criticised the AAP government for allegedly allocating crores of rupees in the budget under the guise of an education revolution, but failed to utilise the buildings effectively.
Citing the academic results of government schools, Gupta claimed that in 2022-23, around 272,448 students were admitted to Class 9, of which 88,409 failed. In 2023-24, out of 277,280 students, 101,331 failed. Similarly, in Class 11, as many as 54,755 out of 214,744 students failed in 2022-23, and 51,914 out of 218,843 failed in 2023-24, he added.
He alleged that a total of 296,409 students failed in Class 9 and 11 over the past two years, and they were expelled from schools, pressured to join correspondence education programs.
According to Gupta’s claims, Delhi government spent Rs 45 crore constructing a SOSE school building in Dariyapur Kalan village, yet no students have enrolled, and no staff has been appointed in 1.5 years, while the school now remains shut, with its premises abandoned.
He further added that in Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy areas, a school building was constructed in 2020 at a cost of Rs 50 crore for 6,000 students, which was inaugurated by then Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in January 2020. However, the building was vacated due to waterlogging caused by poor construction quality.
Gupta claimed that repairs were carried out, but the building remains unused, and it was after complaints from BJP MP Yogendra Chandolia, the Lieutenant Governor ordered the Delhi Government’s Vigilance Department to investigate the matter.
The BJP leader further claimed that, similarly in Pitampura’s Kohat Enclave, Rs 50 crore was spent on constructing a building for the ‘Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar School of Special Excellence,’ intended for 2,000 students. Despite its heavy promotion, the school currently has only 200 students enrolled, Rohini MLA added.
Gupta raised questions on the Delhi government’s education policy, under which nearly 300,000 students have allegedly failed over two years, despite the state government boasting about its schools outperforming private ones.
Gupta questioned how a government failing to provide basic infrastructure and staff, claimed that its education model was world-class.
