Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to a model classroom in Gujarat ahead of assembly elections in the state drew eyes on social media today. The event was part of the launch of a scheme meant to modernise Gujarat's public school system. But the optics was clear, and it was not missed by Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which is emerging as the BJP's biggest rival in the Gujarat.
"It might be 75 years after Independence, but we are happy that government schools and education for the poor is part of the mainstream political discourse. This is our biggest achievement," Mr Kejriwal said.
Images from the occasion in Gandhinagar showed the Prime Minister sitting in a model classroom with students, as a lesson appeared to be in progress. Later, in his speech to a gathering of government school teachers from across Gujarat, he said, "The New Education Policy will pull the country out of the slave mentality surrounding the English language".
Mr Kejriwal suggested that the Prime Minister should use AAP's expertise to upgrade government schools across the country.
"PM sir, we have done a wonderful job in education in Delhi. In five years all the government schools of Delhi were made brilliant. Schools across the country can recover in five years. We have experience. Please use us completely for this. Let's do it together for the country," he tweeted in Hindi.
There was another tweet, showing Mr Kejriwal's deputy Manish Sisodia -- who is also Delhi's Education minister -- in a classroom. Mr Sisodia is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with Delhi government's liquor policy. AAP has claimed that it was a nervous reaction from the BJP, which is apprehensive about the assembly elections in Gujarat.
"I hope that education is not remembered only during elections. All governments joining together can make all government schools great in just 5 years," he said in another tweet.
The BJP came a poor second to AAP in the assembly elections in Delhi and more recently, in Punjab. AAP has been showcasing its governance model of Delhi, especially in health and education sectors in election campaigns. It has paid dividends in Punjab, where the party scored a sweeping victory earlier this year.
