Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal have accused the BJP of "peddling lies" ahead of Delhi polls.
Highlights
- Mr Gambhir had posted a video of a dilapidated school in Delhi
- AAP claimed that school was shifted to a new location in October, 2019
- "When one wants to spout lies, he can spout lies at will," AAP said
Close on the heels of cricketer-turned-BJP leader Gautam Gambhir posting a video of a dilapidated school in Delhi's Khichripur to undermine the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government's achievements on the educational front, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Tuesday called a press conference to carry out a "reality check" of his claim.
Gautam Gambhir, who won the East Delhi seat in last year's Lok Sabha elections, had posted a video of the school with the caption: "They say fight the election on education, I say fight the election on truth!". His tweet came ahead of the Delhi assembly election, to be held on February 8.
The clip posted by the BJP leader shows the dirty blue gate of the Government Senior Secondary School in East Delhi's Khichripur, flanked by run-down walls. The camera then ventures inside the school complex to present a picture of broken down taps, dirty lavatories, dingy corridors and peeling plaster.
However, Manish Sisodia -- who also heads Delhi's education department -- pointed out there was a twist in the tale narrated by the BJP MP. "In his enthusiasm to portray the AAP government in a bad light, Gautam Gambhir forgot to bring your attention to a notice on the school gate that the educational institution has been shifted to the SBV JJ Colony with effect from October 9, 2019," he said, adding that a notice for the demolition of the abandoned structure has already been issued.
"While Gautam Gambhir made it a point to shoot a video of the school, he did not have the patience to read the notices stuck on its gate. But when one just wants to spout lies, he can spout lies at will," Manish Sisodia said.
AAP won as many as 67 of Delhi's 70 constituencies in the 2015 assembly elections, leaving just three for the BJP. The fate of the next government will be revealed on February 11, when the votes are counted.
The city has witnessed a series of attacks and counter-attacks between the Delhi government and the opposition BJP ahead of the elections on February 8, with Amit Shah and his party colleagues accusing Arvind Kejriwal of running the city to the ground. The latter has largely responded with facts and figures supporting his government's claims while accusing the BJP of peddling misinformation for political capital.