When DM saw students being mistreated, why was no action taken? AAP questions BJP

New Delhi: Taking a jab at the BJP govt over the school fee hike issue, AAP's Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday accused the BJP-led Delhi govt of misleading the public over the auditing of private schools. He questioned the lack of action on govt's part, despite the district magistrate's (DM) visit and his subsequent report on DPS Dwarka, which allegedly barred children from attending regular classes and confined them to the library as their parents did not pay the hiked fee.
"Despite the DM's report, no action was taken, and children were made to sit in the library, missing regular classes. Parents, after repeatedly approaching the govt for a resolution and receiving no response, became frustrated. It was then that they turned to the Delhi High Court. Delhi govt ministers should not take credit for actions they had no part in. The education minister should present any document showing that he moved the Delhi HC, and we will acknowledge it. But the fact is, it wasn't the govt but the parents who went to court," Bharadwaj said.
AAP Delhi chief further said that the parents were forced to move the court because the govt failed to investigate the matter. "The court asked the govt what actions were taken, to which the govt responded by saying they issued a show cause notice. The court questioned the seven-day timeline for this notice, asking why the school was given additional time. When the DM visited and saw the children being mistreated, why weren't they immediately allowed into the classrooms? The govt had no answer," Bharadwaj said.
He added, "Why was an FIR not filed against the principal, given the clear evidence of student harassment? Once again, the govt had no answer. This shows that the govt had no real intention of taking action against DPS or similar schools. Nearly 99% of parents have already paid the hiked fees, and the govt likely believed that the remaining 1% would eventually comply. That's why they stayed silent on the issue."
On Thursday, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood criticised the AAP govt for its inaction over the last five years, claiming that concerns over arbitrary fee hikes in private schools went unaddressed for too long. "These issues were neglected for years. It is only after the BJP came to power in Delhi that serious steps are being taken," Sood said.