Delhi BJP: AAP’s education model a flop show

The BJP has announced a major campaign to expose what it calls the failure of the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) so-called "education revolution," focusing on corruption in school construction and the government's alleged mismanagement of funds. The campaign, titled Pol Khol (expose the truth), will culminate in a protest on November 28 outside the SOSE school in Dariyapur Kala village, led by BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, and North West Delhi MP Yogendra Chandolia, along with other senior BJP leaders.

At a press conference held today at the Delhi BJP office, Gupta criticised the AAP government’s education policies, accusing it of embezzling funds allocated for school construction while abandoning many of the projects. "The AAP government has exploited the concept of an 'education revolution' to construct school buildings, only to engage in corruption, embezzle money, and eventually abandon these structures," said Gupta. He described the education model as a "flop show" that has failed to live up to its promises.

Gupta slammed the decision to shut down 29 Bal Pratibha Vikas Schools, which has affected thousands of students. "The Delhi government’s decision to close these schools is a political conspiracy. They have destroyed the future of thousands of talented students who were admitted based on merit," Gupta alleged. Classes for Grades 6 to 10 in these schools have already been discontinued, with Grade 11 set to close in the 2024-25 academic year and Grade 12 in 2025.

Highlighting the academic performance of students in Delhi government schools, Gupta revealed that in the 2023-24 academic year, over 100,000 students in Class 9 and nearly 52,000 students in Class 11 failed. "In total, nearly 300,000 students failed across these two classes over two years, only to be expelled or pressured into enrolling in correspondence courses," he added.

Gupta pointed to the alleged mismanagement in the construction of school buildings. He claimed that Rs 45 crore was spent on building a SOSE school in Dariyapur Kala village, but the school has remained closed with no students or staff enrolled after 1.5 years. Similarly, a Rs 50 crore building in Shahbad Dairy, constructed to accommodate 6,000 students, was left unusable due to waterlogging caused by poor construction, despite repairs. "These projects have cost taxpayers crores of rupees, but they remain abandoned, serving no purpose," Gupta said.