Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 31 : Former Punjab Education Minister and Congress MLA Pargat Singh on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of politicising education by painting government schools in party colours, calling it a violation of neutrality and basic humanitarian values.
Speaking to mediapersons during a visit to a Government Girls Senior Secondary School on Ladowali Road in Jalandhar, Pargat Singh alleged that the school walls had been repainted in blue and yellow, which he claimed resembled AAP's party flag colours. He said the building had earlier featured creative and neutral artwork, which was removed following fresh orders, leading to what he termed "wastage of public money."
Singh said children should not be subjected to political symbolism in educational institutions and urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to intervene in the matter. He also targeted Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, questioning the decision-making behind the choice of colours and alleging outside interference in the state's governance.
The Congress leader further criticised the AAP government's education policy, alleging shortages of teachers and unresolved issues related to assistant professors. He claimed that teachers were being forced to protest due to the government's inaction and said the state was lagging behind others in the education sector.
Referring to AAP's education model in Delhi, Singh alleged that several "model schools" had failed to meet safety standards, asserting that similar policies were now being replicated in Punjab.
Former Punjab Education Minister and Congress MLA on X post, also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party, alleging that it is following the BJP-RSS policy of "saffronising" educational institutions. Singh termed the move condemnable, saying public money was being spent on political propaganda instead of improving basic facilities in schools.
"The policy of saffronising educational institutions, which was adopted by RSS-BJP to impose its ideology by influencing the thinking of the new generation, has now been adopted by Aam Aadmi Party. Issuing orders to paint government schools in Punjab in the colours of its party's flag is a dirty politics of imposing political influence on educational institutions and students. It is condemnable to spend public money on political propaganda instead of improving basic facilities in schools," in his X post.
Singh said the government should focus on strengthening infrastructure, recruiting qualified teachers and improving learning outcomes instead of what he described as cosmetic measures.
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