New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The political tussle over the state of school education in Punjab intensified further on Saturday, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson R.P. Singh targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over alleged shortages of teachers and deteriorating conditions in schools.
Singh was responding to a statement by Congress leader and All India Congress Committee (AICC) Punjab In-charge Sachin Pilot, who had appealed to the BJP to keep an equal watch on schools in Punjab.
Taking a swipe at the Punjab government, the BJP National spokesperson said Pilot was showing some consideration towards the AAP and claimed that the situation in Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district Sangrur was also poor.
“Sachin Pilot is showing some mercy towards the Aam Aadmi Party. The condition of schools in Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s own district Sangrur is bad,” Singh added.
He alleged that several schools in the district were functioning without adequate teachers.
“There are 55,000 teachers, but 18,000 teacher posts have not been filled yet. Seventy per cent of schools do not have teachers. The school education system has collapsed,” the BJP spokesperson claimed.
On Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s remarks regarding India’s electoral system, Singh said there was no doubt that the world recognised the strength of India’s election process.
He said that conducting elections on such a large scale, from voter registration to counting, while maintaining transparency throughout the process, was a major achievement.
Reacting to Enforcement Directorate action at the residence of a close aide of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Singh said cash amounting to Rs 32 lakh and gold had allegedly been recovered from the residence of the aide’s personal assistant.
He questioned how the personal assistant, whose salary was not very high, could have accumulated such assets and said questions were being raised about in whose name the properties had been acquired.
He also reacted on Andhra Pradesh government action against former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is acting according to the law. Jagan Mohan Reddy should not cry over it. Action should be taken according to the law, and if anyone feels that it is not being done according to the law, they can approach the court,” Singh said.
Following the change of government in 2024, the Chandrababu Naidu-led administration has stepped up investigations into alleged irregularities during the previous YSRCP government.
–IANS
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