Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia. (Express photo/File)
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “intoxicated” with “being in power” and capable of “stopping any good work for the same”, Delhi Education Minister and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said that by removing his advisor, Atishi Marlena, the PM had “hurt the future of children”. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs had cancelled the appointment of 10 advisors of Delhi government ministers, and termed the posts illegal.
In a letter to Modi Friday, Sisodia said he wanted to draw the PM’s attention to “hurdles” that his government had created. “You’re the Prime Minister of the country. You have the power of the government and you’re intoxicated by power. With this… you can stop any good work that is happening in the country.”
Sisodia said that by removing Marlena, the Modi government had not “hurt” him, “but hurt the future of the children of Delhi”. “What were you trying to achieve by removing Atishi Marlena from her post… you might have political differences with us, but it can’t extend to the children of Delhi,” he wrote.
Sisodia argued that the government’s vision was to ensure that 95% of children in the country, who don’t have access to its best educational facilities, were able to receive quality education – particularly, girl students.
ALSO READ | Who is Atishi Marlena?
Listing the government’s achievements, he said, “… We have continuously worked in the capital for the past three years, spending about 25% of its budget on education.” All this was possible, Sisodia claimed, due to Marlena’s efforts.
Listing out her qualifications and background as an educationist, Sisodia wrote, “Marlena is the advisor whose aid we took to think of all these schemes… And for all this, she just drew a salary of Re 1 per month. What message are you trying to give by removing a woman like this – a patriot, highly educated, qualified – from her task of improving educational facilities?”
He also argued on the need for educational experts to make policy decisions pertaining to the subject.
Former-CBFC member starts petition
A former member of the Central Board of Film Certification has started an online petition, addressed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to press for the reinstatement of Atishi Marlena.