The BJP’s allegation of a ‘school scam’ involving inflated costs for school reconstruction was the cause behind the fight.
Amidst weeks of verbal and virtual duels between the AAP and BJP on several issues, rival leaders from the opposing parties fought on camera outside schools in Delhi on Wednesday. Both the AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj and the BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia tweeted videos of their versions of the brawl.
The BJP’s allegation of a “school scam” involving inflated costs for school reconstruction was the cause behind the fight including an accusation that the AAP government ‘falsely promised’ 500 new schools in Delhi, which were never built.
BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia was at a school today on the invitation of AAP Saurabh Bharadwaj when the two sparred. He had challenged the AAP government to take him to a “single school” built by the party. But according to the AAP spokesperson, who shared his video, the BJP leader refused to enter the school and “ran away.” “We told him there are 498 schools, please let us see them,” Bharadwaj wrote.
However, the BJP leader continued with his argument. “He (the AAP leader) took us to a 1966 school. We’ve arrived at an unfinished second school. After eight and a half years, this is the reality. Thank you for revealing the truth, ” Bhatia said in the video as Bharadwaj continued to contradict him.
The AAP and the BJP have been at odds for weeks, ever since the CBI raided Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on corruption allegations in the AAP government’s liquor policy. Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP’s leader, and Delhi Chief Minister accused the center of hounding his ministers out of resentment over praise for his government’s work in health and education.
Assam CM Sarma had also engaged in a Twitter spat with the leader and the argument began after Kejriwal had tweeted that the closure of schools is not a solution and there is a need to open more schools across the country, and shared a link to a news report claiming a “closure” of some schools in Assam.
“You came to power with the promise of making Delhi like London and Paris, don’t you remember @ArvindKejriwal Ji? When he could not do anything, he started comparing #Delhi with the small towns of Assam and Northeast! Believe me, if the BJP gets a city and resources like Delhi, the party will make it the most prosperous city in the world,” the Assam CM had said in a tweet in Hindi.