The BJP and the AAP, on Tuesday, traded barbs on condition of schools and quality of education imparted to the children in Himachal Pradesh with the ruling party citing surveys to back its system while the latter accused the right wing party of only focusing on spreading communal hatred in the country.

Speaking to the media after an interaction with students, parents and intellectuals on the condition of the education sector in the state, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia launched a scathing attack on the BJP Government for neglecting the education sector. He said it seems the BJP only focuses on communal enmity in the society rather than on quality education for the youth.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur couldn’t bring significant changes in the sector to provide quality and career oriented education during its current rule. If we compare it with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led government in Delhi, there has been significant and qualitative changes in schools of the National Capital which is benefiting the youth.

It seems that the BJP only promotes communal hatred between people but neglects the education which should be qualitative and career oriented, he added.

Sisodia stated that there were around 8,000 schools with only one or two teachers while over 10,000 schools are being run from one or two-room buildings. He announced that he would soon visit the schools of the state to highlight the poor conditions in educational institutions.

BJP state spokesman Randhir Sharma refuted the allegations saying Himachal Pradesh ranks way above Delhi in various national surveys with the state only facing competition from Kerala on quality education.

Taking a jab at AAP’s interactive programme with parents and students, he said all the questions raised at the programme were decided beforehand. The party should stop these kinds of dramas through which they are trying to misguide the general public, he said, adding it was only AAP members who interacted with Sisodia in Shimla.

Sharma stated that Sisodia levelled these allegations to gain political mileage as CM Thakur led government has performed well in all sectors including education.

The BJP government in Himachal is providing free dress, books and bags to students and besides, we can’t compare Himachal and Delhi owing to different geographical conditions as sometimes, the government has to open schools for 5 students due long distances between schools and habitations, he added.