CHANDIGARH: Senior BJP leader Shwait Malik on Thursday strongly criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, for merely focusing on fresh coat of paint, whitewash, inauguration ceremonies and advertisements on the name of ‘Punjab Sikhya Kranti’ initiative, and ignoring the actual needs of teachers and students.
Malik said the termination of 253 Master Cadre teachers, who had been serving in government schools for nearly three years, was deeply concerning. On the other hand, the plight of teachers in government-aided schools, who are working without salaries for nearly 10 months, exposes the government’s failure to address the genuine concerns of educators. “The AAP’s decisions are anti-teachers and anti-people”, said Malik.
“Teachers are the backbone of the education system, but the AAP government has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity among them. Those who have been teaching children in government schools for years are now fighting to protect their livelihoods. The government, on the other hand, prioritized expenditure of nearly ₹30 lakh on granite plaques bearing the names of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and local MLAs at 599 government schools, under the Punjab Sikhya Kranti initiative”, Malik said.
Malik further added, “AAP government is only doing a fresh coat of paint, whitewash, inauguration ceremonies and advertisement on the name of Sikhya Kranti. Is this the education revolution Punjab was promised? The AAP government is spending taxpayers’ money on plaques displaying the names of political leaders while teachers are protesting, promotions remain contentious and educators face uncertainty over their jobs.”
“The people of Punjab deserve answers, not publicity campaigns. The AAP government must stop treating education as a tool for political branding and start treating teachers and students as its foremost responsibility. The BJP stands firmly with Punjab’s teachers and will continue to raise its voice for a transparent, accountable and genuinely student-centric education system,” Malik said.