New Delhi [India], July 27 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday responded to Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood's statement that not a single functional computer lab was left behind by the previous AAP government, calling it an inaccurate claim aimed at undermining the party and possibly justifying new procurements.
With students found studying on working computers during a surprise inspection by AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar, Saurabh Bharadwaj called out the BJP for manufacturing falsehoods, hiding the truth, and plotting to falsely declare systems as junk to justify fresh purchases.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "It is unfortunate that the BJP has selected certain individuals as ministers. Ashish Sood is one such minister."
Referring to Minister Ashish Sood's recent remarks at a private conclave, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "The minister claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party government had not left behind a single functional computer lab. According to him, every machine was non-functional."
He questioned the intention behind the statement. "One reason could be to discredit the previous government. Another possibility is to duplicate earlier initiatives and take credit. A third explanation could be a plan to declare all computers unusable in order to justify new purchases."
Explaining the concern, Bharadwaj said, "New computers can be bought only if existing ones are labelled unusable. That may be why the minister made a general statement about all computer labs being non-functional. We intend to verify and counter that claim."
Responding to the minister's comments, Bharadwaj said, "He claimed on a news channel that there isn't a single functional computer lab left by the AAP government. Following that, MLA Kuldeep Kumar visited the New Kondli Government School without prior notice. He found students working on computers. There are also earlier videos showing former minister Manish Sisodia visiting functioning labs."
Highlighting the poor understanding of the BJP's minister, Bharadwaj said,"When asked for an example involving computers, he mentioned handing a mobile phone to a two-year-old. An Education Minister should be able to provide examples relevant to education policy and technology."
He added, "The BJP has no intention of doing any work. That is why BJP ministers are busy spreading lies about the previous government. Today, Ashish Sood's lie has been completely exposed."
Demanding accountability, he asked, "If computers are working, then the minister must explain why he said otherwise. If they are not working, then why hasn't the government ordered an inquiry? There are proper procurement procedures and accountability mechanisms. Ashish Sood should clarify whether this statement is linked to a plan to declare systems as faulty and initiate new purchases."
AAP President Bharadwaj also raised concerns about MLA Kuldeep Kumar's second school visit. "When he reached another school in the afternoon, the principal informed him that a directive from the Deputy Director of the Education Department prohibited MLAs from entering computer labs without prior written permission. This suggests that the department is trying to limit access to avoid verification of the minister's claim," he said.
He added, "This clearly shows that fear has gripped Ashish Sood's Ministry, they are scared that AAP MLAs will record videos of functional computers and expose the truth."