NE NEWS SERVICE
BHUJ (GUJARAT), AUG 16
Even as the ruling BJP has moved the Supreme Court against the ‘freebie’ culture of political parties with a plea to put an end to it, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, his birthday, announced free and quality education to the people of the poll-bound state and auditing of private schools if it was elected to power in the year-end Assembly elections.
જુઓ દેશના સર્વશ્રેષ્ઠ મુખ્યમંત્રી શ્રી @ArvindKejriwal જીએ મફત શિક્ષણ અંગે શું કહ્યું..!#KejriwalNiShikshaGuarantee#Gujarat pic.twitter.com/tYdZT9wWkz
— AAP Gujarat (@AAPGujarat) August 16, 2022
This is the fourth visit in a month of the AAP leader to Gujarat, where Assembly polls are due later this year.
DMK chief Stalin joins AAP in defending freebies before the SC
Incidentally, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday in the ongoing case about freebies, contending that the scope of a “freebie” is very wide and “there are a lot of aspects which need to be considered”. The court is hearing a petition that has challenged the promise of freebies at election time, contending that this practice can bring financial ruin on a state. So far, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, known for providing free power and water in the states it rules, has challenged the stance of the petition, which was filed by the BJP’s Ashwini Upadhyay.
ગુજરાતીઓને @ArvindKejriwal ની શિક્ષા ગેરંટી!#KejriwalNiShikshaGuarantee pic.twitter.com/dCb37Z0gSl
— AAP Gujarat (@AAPGujarat) August 16, 2022
The schemes for the socio-economic welfare of the deserving and disadvantaged masses cannot be described as “freebies”, the ruling party of Delhi and Punjab contended in its petition. It also alleged that the petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay was trying to cover up a political agenda by legal means.
गुजरात के बेहतर भविष्य के लिए हमें बच्चों का भविष्य बेहतर करना होगा। गुजरात की शिक्षा व्यवस्था पर बेहद ज़रूरी बात करने के लिए आज भुज आया हूँ | LIVE https://t.co/fYotHD8up0
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 16, 2022
- DMK chief Stalin joins AAP in defending freebies before the SC
- The AAP convener also promised to improve infrastructure of the existing government schools and open new ones in large numbers across the state
- The government will also make sure that facilities of higher education for women are created across the state and issues faced by “Vidya Sahayaks” (education assistants) are sorted out
The Centre has also shown disapproval for the freebie culture and said there should be a proper debate on it.
Free education, infra boost for schools
The AAP convener also promised to improve infrastructure of the existing government schools and open new ones in large numbers across the state if his party comes to power in the state currently ruled by the BJP.
“All those born in Gujarat will get free and quality education. We will not force anybody. If parents have money, they can send their kids to private schools. But if they do not have money, we will not let the lack of money come in the way of good education for their kids. We will provide them best education for free,” he said at a town hall meeting here.
Kejriwal said if the AAP forms the next government in Gujarat, all private schools will be audited and made to return “extra money” collected from parents like what has been done in Delhi, where his party is in power.
The Delhi CM said an AAP government will ensure that the practice of private schools selling textbooks and uniforms to students is stopped forthwith.
After AAP, MK Stalin’s DMK challenges definition of freebies before Supreme Court
When the AAP forms a government in Gujarat, service of teachers working on a contract basis will be regularised and they will be offered job security, he said.
It will also be ensured that government schoolteachers are not given non-teaching jobs, the AAP leader said. Kejriwal guaranteed creation of teaching jobs in new schools.
The government will also make sure that facilities of higher education for women are created across the state and issues faced by “Vidya Sahayaks” (education assistants) are sorted out, he added.
Kejriwal, during his earlier visits to Gujarat, had announced a host of pre-poll guarantees related to electricity, jobs, unemployment allowance, women and tribals, among others.
AAP Minority Wing cuts 15-kg birthday cake in Ahmedabad
Vice president of AAP Gujarat Minority Wing Amjad Khan Pathan on Tuesday celebrated party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s birthday by cutting a 15-kg cake. The celebration was held in Lal Darwaja area of Ahmedabad.
AAP Ahmedabad City Unit president JJ Mewada, state trade wing chief Arvindbhai Solanki, legal cell vice president Urvashi Mishra, legal cell district chief Niyati Sambath, Ahmedabad City minority wing chief Musharif Rajput and other office-bearers of the party attended the event in large numbers.