As Gujarat BJP team continues Delhi yatra, sparring with AAP intensifies

Referring to the condition of a mohalla clinic in Zero Pushta in Soniya Vihar, Tiwari said, “This mohalla clinic is listed on their website, but on the ground, only the structure exists.”

The team visited another mohalla clinic in Chauhan Patti soon after. “There is no doctor inside, no medicine, nothing,” said Jyoti Pandya, former mayor of Vadodara.

With elections in Gujarat scheduled towards the end of this year, politics from the state has reached the national capital. A 17-member BJP delegation from Gujarat is in Delhi on a two-day visit to “assess the ground reality” of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s mohalla clinics and schools.

BJP leader Manoj Tiwari with the party’s Gujarat team in Delhi Wednesday. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)

The leaders’ next destination was Sarvodaya Bal Balika Vidyalaya in Khajuri Khas, where they shot videos of a portion that allegedly was run in a tin shed. Tiwari said, “It is so hot here. One cannot stand for a long time, how can they teach small children inside the shed? Even the building is rickety with cracks,” he said, adding, “The Delhi government has two-three schools which they keep showing in advertisements, but in reality, the condition of several schools and mohalla clinics are like we have shown.”

A teacher at the school, however, said that this portion is only used when the turnout is high. “Classes, from Nursery to 12th, are run in two shifts in the school. The strength of children reaches up to 5,800. There are pukka structures and those are used for studies. The school has more than 70 rooms for conducting classes,” she said. “However, the condition of classes and staff rooms can be improved,” she added.

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The delegation later went to meet Union Minister for health and family welfare Mansukh Mandaviya. A press conference was also scheduled later in the day but was cancelled. Gujarat BJP media convenor Yagnesh Dave said that the team would hold a press briefing in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, AAP MLA Atishi, along with a group of MLAs, went to one of the Delhi government’s model schools on Wednesday afternoon where they claimed that they had invited the delegation from Gujarat. Atishi stated that they had invited them to Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Rouse Avenue to show them the ‘Delhi education model’.

“We had invited them to come to see our school. We heard that they had gone to a mohalla clinic last evening, but there was no one to receive and show them around. We are ready to welcome them with bouquets, tea and snacks, and to show them around. We chose this school because it’s right next to the BJP national headquarters, and it would be easy for them to find,” said Atishi.

“We wanted to present a complete picture of the educational revolution brought by the Kejriwal government in Delhi to the BJP delegation. We are well aware of the pitiable condition of government schools in Gujarat. This also got covered as front-page news in the leading newspapers of Gujarat. The students have no choice but to study on Taat-patti in those schools which are categorised as world-class smart schools by the Gujarat government. This school in which we are present today was run in a tin shed seven years ago without cleanliness. If the BJP delegation shows up today, we will describe the entire journey of transforming dilapidated schools into actual world-class schools,” she said.

In a tweet, Kejriwal said, “Several senior leaders of BJP’s Gujarat unit have come to Delhi to see mohalla clinics and schools. I hope they will improve things in Gujarat after seeing the wonderful education and health services here. India will progress only if we learn from each other.”