On Friday, the Delhi High Court criticized the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for failing to provide textbooks to over 200,000 students. Petitioner Ashok Aggarwal, who took the matter to the court, supported the high court’s reprimand, calling it “well-deserved.” The case involved the non-supply of textbooks in government and MCD-run schools, controlled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
“The Delhi government deserved the criticism. Their advertisements boast about world-class institutions, but the reality is different. I visited several Delhi government and MCD schools and found 140 students or three sections sitting in one classroom without water facilities,” Aggarwal told ANI.
Aggarwal, an advocate, pointed out that under the Right To Education (RTE) Act, the Delhi government is obligated to provide basic facilities in MCD-run schools.
“Students should receive textbooks, notebooks, writing materials, and uniforms, but these have not been supplied. Notebooks were provided after the high court’s reprimand, but textbooks are still pending,” he said.
What Did the High Court Say?
On Friday, a two-judge bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora criticized the AAP government for prioritizing party interests over national interests.
“You (Delhi government) have put your interests above those of the students and children. That is clear, and we will conclude that you have prioritized your political interests above all. This is arrogance of power at its highest,” the bench observed.
In recent times, the AAP has been organizing street protests against the March arrest of its national convenor, Chief Minister Kejriwal, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about an alleged liquor policy scam. Kejriwal is currently being held in Tihar jail.
