Almost after a month to Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister’s arrest, shadows of another scam are hovering over Delhi’s Aam Admi Party government. As per a recent notice issued by the Delhi Child Commission to the Education Directorate, there have been irregularities with the allocation of seats in the category of the Economically Weaker section at the government schools.
Notably, Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party (AAP) boasts the most about revolutionising education in government-run schools. However, irregularities have been reported showing the biased nature of the government. With Kejriwal’s silence on the Delhi riots and Amanatullah Khan’s case on irregularities with the waqf board, one can see him heading towards the politics of ‘Muslim appeasement’ like others.
Notably, a social activist RK Sharma gave a complaint to the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) regarding the biased admission process under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category.
As per a letter dated March 20, the complainant wrote, the students selected on the basis of the draw system under the EWS category include 70 per cent Muslims and 30 per cent Hindus.
The complainant added, “With due respect, I want to say that Delhi Government is doing discrimination with the draw of EWS child. lf you see the list of EWS Delhi Govt. you will found that about 70% students are giving in their list Muslim and only 30% child are Hindu giving to school run on DDA land. How it is possible that General candidates are only 30% and Muslim 70%. Kindly, check this list from Directorate of Education Delhi and you will see the same as stated above.”
Taking cognizance of the said matter NCPCR Delhi, issued a notice to the Directorate of Education Delhi on April 3. As per the notice (number–DD4723) the commission demanded a report in the matter within ten days.
The commission also stated that prima facie this is a violation of Article 15 and section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Education Act, 2009.
Not the only education scam by the Kejriwal government
Earlier in 2022, the central vigilance directorate recommended a detailed probe by a “specialised agency” into alleged irregularities in the construction of 2,405 classrooms for Delhi government schools, claiming it involved a scam of Rs 1,300 crore.
The Central Vigilance Commission, in a report dated February 17, 2020, highlighted irregularities in the construction of 2,405 classrooms in Delhi government schools by the Public Works Department (PWD). The CVC sent the report to the Delhi government’s vigilance directorate seeking its comments on the matter in February 2020.
In April 2015, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directed the construction of additional classrooms in Delhi government schools. The PWD entrusted the task of constructing 2405 classrooms in 193 schools.
The survey projected a total requirement of 7180 equivalent classrooms (ECR) in 194 schools, almost three times the requirement of 2405 classrooms.
Notably, Since the party came to power in 2015, more than a dozen leaders from Delhi have been arrested. The two prominent leaders among these include Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain. These two leaders collectively held charge of as many as 19 departments.
On 26th February 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor excise policy case, after eight hours of questioning. The officers arrested him alleging that the AAP leader was not cooperating with the investigation and avoiding clarifications on crucial points sought by them.
For Satyendra Jail it is alleged that while he was a public servant, his companies received up to Rs. 4.81 crores from shell companies via the Hawala network. Satyendar Jain was arrested and detained by the Enforcement Directorate on May 31, 2022.
Besides Jain and Sisodia many AAP leaders have been arrested
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan is currently out on bail for a case connected to illegal recruitment and financial misappropriation as the chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board. In November 2022, a Delhi court said that there was sufficient evidence to proceed against Khan.
The list of arrested or jailed AAP leaders also includes lawmakers from Punjab. The state Vigilance Bureau arrested the ruling party’s Bathinda Rural MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta in a bribery case. He is the second party leader to be nabbed on graft charges following former health minister Vijay Singla’s arrest in 2022.
Notably, in the span of two years, 14 AAP MLAs have been to jail for charges like rape, abetment to suicide and forgery. Some of them are MLA Sandeep Kumar (accused of rape) and MLA Jitender Tomar (allegedly forged educational degree), MLA Somnath Bharti (allegedly torturing his wife, Lipika Mitra, and setting his dog on her when she was pregnant).
Another MLA arrested was, Gulab Singh (alleged extortion), Narela MLA Sharad Chauhan, accused of abetting the suicide of a woman AAP volunteer and many others.
