The ‘Twitter war’ between the Delhi and Punjab education ministers over the condition of government schools escalated on Friday. Punjab education minister Pargat Singh accepted the challenge posed by Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia to compare Punjab and Delhi government schools.

After Pargat accepted the challenge posed by Sisodia to compare Punjab and Delhi government schools, the latter offered to send a list of 250 Delhi schools to the Punjab education minister and sought a list of 250 government schools of Punjab from him.

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At the same time, Sisodia asked Pargat to set a date and time of his choice for a tour of the best schools listed in Delhi and Punjab and a debate on the education system and reforms so that both the education ministers (Sisodia and Pargat) in the presence of the media can visit Delhi and Punjab government schools together and have an open debate.

“Punjab’s Education Minister has accepted my challenge for a debate on education reforms in 250 schools in Delhi and Punjab. I am waiting for the list of the 250 best schools in Punjab which have improved in the last 5 years,” Sisodia said in a tweet after Pargat accepted his challenge.

In another tweet, Sisodia wrote, “I will personally submit a list of 250 schools in Delhi. Then we will go to these schools together, at the decided time and date. At the same time, we will call the media so that all the people can form their opinion by looking at the government schools of Delhi and Punjab and the education model of both.”

मैं खुद भी दिल्ली के 250 स्कूलों की लिस्ट सौंपूंगा। फिर हम दोनों एक साथ, तय समय और तारीख़ पर, इन स्कूलों में चलेंगे। साथ में मीडिया को भी बुला लेंगे। ताकि सभी लोग पंजाब और दिल्ली के स्कूलों को, दोनों के शिक्षा मॉडल को, देखकर अपनी राय बना सकें। (2/3)

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) November 26, 2021

In the third tweet, Sisodia wrote, “Not only that, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is coming to Mohali tomorrow (November 27). There, Kejriwal will meet Punjab teachers who are agitating for their demands and sitting on dharnas. Who better to talk about the improvements made in the schools than the teachers teaching there?”

इतना ही नहीं दिल्ली के सीएम @ArvindKejriwal जी कल मोहाली जा रहे हैं। वहां वे अपनी मांगों को लेकर आंदोलन कर रहे पंजाब के शिक्षकों से मुलाकात करेंगे। स्कूल में हुए सुधारों के बारे में वहां पढ़ा रहे शिक्षकों से बेहतर कौन बता सकता है।(3/3)

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) November 26, 2021

Addressing a Press conference in Jalandhar on Friday, Pargat said even as there can’t be any comparison of conditions and challenges in Punjab as compared to Delhi, still, things were better in Punjab and schools will be compared on the national Performance Grade Index (PGI).

He said the AAP government in Delhi spent money mainly on 10 schools and now these were being used for publicity. “Punjab has over 19,000 schools while Delhi has just over 2,700 and Punjab has large rural areas and the border region. Kejriwal is just running a municipality but rushes to compare everything with Punjab which has much bigger challenges. Still, there has been a lot of improvement in government school education in Punjab,” he said.