BJP accuses Kejriwal of exploiting children for political gain, targets AAP's education and promises
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The BJP on Tuesday (December 31, 2024) accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal of exploiting children for political purposes, accusing him of engaging in "petty, cheap, and dirty" politics. BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, speaking at a press conference, stated that the AAP has refused to remove a post showing children raising pro-Kejriwal slogans, despite serious concerns raised by the National Human Rights Commission. He argued that this kind of depiction violates the Juvenile Act and the guidelines set by the Election Commission.
Bhatia questioned Kejriwal and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi for exploiting children and damaging their dignity, asking if this was due to Kejriwal's awareness of his electoral decline in Delhi. He criticized Kejriwal for playing with the minds of young, impressionable children for political gain and vowed that the BJP would work to remove Kejriwal from power, calling him a "destroyer of children and a hater of children." Bhatia further accused the AAP government of turning school toilets into classrooms for students and deliberately failing students in Class 9 and Class 11 to improve pass percentages in Class 10 and Class 12. He also criticized the AAP government for failing to open the 500 schools it had promised and for leaving almost 80% of teaching posts vacant.
Bhatia also called Kejriwal's recent announcement of an ₹18,000 monthly honorarium for temple and gurudwara priests a "false promise," claiming that the former chief minister was aware that his political career was nearing its end. He also pointed out that Kejriwal’s government had recently opened liquor shops near religious sites. Additionally, Bhatia noted that while the AAP government had promised similar honorariums to imams, they had not been paid for the past 17 months. He labeled Kejriwal as "the biggest fraud and deceitful politician in India." In response to the Congress' allegations that the BJP government at the Centre had disrespected former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Bhatia countered by recalling the Congress' "insult" of former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, pointing out that they had prevented his cremation in the national capital. A bitter war of words continues between the Congress and BJP over arrangements for Singh's funeral and the establishment of a memorial for the former prime minister.
