Atishi’s image, message in MCD schoolbooks: BJP says AAP ‘politicising education system’

The BJP on Thursday hit out at the Delhi government for publishing Education Minister Atishi’s picture and message in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) primary school textbooks.

The BJP on Thursday hit out at the Delhi government for publishing Education Minister Atishi’s picture and message in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) primary school textbooks.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva decried the “blatant politicisation of the primary education system” and claimed that the message was intended “to politically influence the parents of over five lakh primary school students”.

“Ever since the Arvind Kejriwal government came to power in 2013, it has been trying to misuse the schools and textbooks to promote its politics,” Mr. Sachdeva said.

While the BJP chief appealed to MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti to stop the distribution of the textbooks, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor in a tweet urged Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena to “stop the politicisation of education” in the city.

Responding to Mr. Kapoor’s tweet, the Education Minister said attention was being paid to children’s education for the first time in MCD’s history.

“The BJP destroyed the MCD schools in the last 15 years. But don’t you worry; now Arvind Kejriwal and his team will provide a world-class education to children in the MCD schools!” Ms. Atishi said.