School of Eminence: Over 200 buses mobilised from 9 constituencies for Amritsar event

Jalandhar, September 13

Over 200 buses were mobilised from Jalandhar for an event held in Amritsar today. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the School of Eminence in the holy city. Kejriwal was joined by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in the event.

The buses, including Punjab Roadways and private, were mobilised by MLAs, volunteers and party workers across nine Assembly constituencies of Jalandhar. From constituencies like Kartarpur and Jalandhar Cantt, 1,000 to 1,500 people headed for the Amritsar event.

AAP leaders, including Nakodar MLA Inderjit Kaur, posted videos of buses heading to Amritsar from Jalandhar.

Meanwhile, several teachers were also roped in to oversee the arrangements of these buses. From Shahkot block itself, 30 teachers/lecturers were deputed at Girdderpindi to send buses.

The deputation for teachers also drew criticism from the Government Teachers’ Union (GTU).

An AAP functionary, while speaking to The Tribune, said: “As many as 30 buses were to be mobilised from every constituency. While some areas had relatively lesser number of people, several constituencies saw packed buses heading for the event.”

Directions from a senior functionary of the district administration were also issued to teachers at Shahkot today. Teachers/lecturers were also called in for a meeting on the issue yesterday.

A teacher said: “We were supposed to bring in buses from villages, but teachers gathered at 5 am today at Shahkot at a functionary’s office and some of them raised objections over this job. The duties were hence relaxed and we were asked to send the buses from Gidderpindi. We didn’t go any further. After sending the buses, we went back between 11 am and 12 noon. However, it is wrong to depute teachers for such jobs.”

GTU leader Karnail Phillaur said: “Our union condemns the deputation of teachers for mobilising buses from Shahkot, Jalandhar and elsewhere.”

Issuing a release, the Government Teachers’ Union, Punjab, condemned the deputation of teachers to mobilise crowds for the Amritsar event.

State president of the Government Teachers’ Union Sukhwinder Singh Chahal, State General Secretary Gurbinder Singh, State Press Secretary Surjit Singh Mohali and Karnail Phillaur said it was not right to depute teachers to gather crowds in political events.