Arvind Kejriwal Challenges BJP to Compare 1,000 Schools Each in Punjab, Gujarat
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday issued an open challenge to the BJP to compare 1,000 government schools each in Punjab and Gujarat, as he defended the Punjab government's work in the education sector.
In a video message, the former Delhi Chief Minister proposed that both sides jointly inspect the selected schools, with the exercise also covered by the press. Kejriwal said the BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 30 years, while the AAP government has been in Punjab for four-and-a-half years.
“I will give you a list of 1,000 schools in Punjab, and you give us a list of 1,000 schools in Gujarat. Let us inspect these schools together and see which ones are better,” Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal Defends Punjab Government Schools
Kejriwal alleged that BJP governments were trying to defame government schools in Punjab instead of improving schools in their own states. He also accused the BJP of using doctored and AI-generated videos to target Punjab's government schools.
He claimed that Punjab has around 19,700 schools, of which work has already been completed in about 19,200 schools, while improvement work is underway in the remaining 500.
According to Kejriwal, the work in these remaining schools is expected to be completed within the next one-and-a-half to two years.
Says Punjab's Education Sector Has Improved
Kejriwal also highlighted the change in Punjab's education sector since the AAP came to power in 2022. He said Punjab was ranked 28th at that time and claimed that the state has witnessed a turnaround since then.
He credited the improvement not only to the government but also to teachers, principals, parents and students.
“We did not improve schools alone; the people of Punjab improved Punjab's schools. The teachers of Punjab improved them, the principals of Punjab improved them, the parents and children -- all of them together improved them,” he said.
Focus on Punjab-Gujarat Comparison
Kejriwal's latest remarks were centred on his proposed comparison of government schools in Punjab and Gujarat. The challenge comes as the AAP seeks to defend its record in Punjab's education sector while accusing the BJP of attempting to undermine the image of state-run schools.
The proposed exercise, if taken up, would involve comparing 1,000 schools from each state on the basis of their existing facilities and overall condition.
