Delhi minister accuses AAP of politicising school-related disputes ahead of board exams

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday of politicising school-related disputes ahead of board examinations and said the BJP government is committed to ensuring that students are not subjected to stress during the crucial period.

Addressing students and parents, Sood said the city government considers every child in Delhi its responsibility, regardless of whether they study in government or private schools.

He said the focus of the administration is to safeguard students' academic interests and ensure that examinations are conducted without disruptions.

The minister referred to a recent issue involving admit cards of students at the Apeejay School, saying the matter was resolved through official intervention and that the government remains engaged with all stakeholders to prevent similar situations.

He asserted that both Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the education department are available to support students and parents.

However, there was no immediate response from the school.

Sood alleged that the dispute between certain schools and parents have been pending for years and accused the AAP of using the issue for political messaging, instead of working towards a permanent solution.

He claimed that recent actions were aimed at creating "optics" rather than resolving the core problem.

Reiterating the government's position on fee-related matters, Sood said coercive methods for fee recovery would not be tolerated and cited provisions of the Fee Act to underline the department's stand.

He said officials are in regular touch with school managements and parents to ensure that students' education is not affected.

Meanwhile, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government Delhi, alleging that students' admit cards are withheld in a private school and that party workers raising the issue were detained.

In a post on X, the former Delhi chief minister accused the government of protecting private schools and suppressing voices speaking up for students' rights.

As board examinations approach, Sood appealed to students to remain focussed on their studies and said the government would continue to provide support to them to ensure a stress-free environment during the exams.

Earlier in the day, AAP leaders, including Saurabh Bharadwaj, staged a protest outside the Apeejay School, alleging an arbitrary fee hike and the withholding of students’ admit cards for board examinations. PTI SHB RC