Admit card controversy: Saurabh Bhardwaj raised questions on the relationship between Education Minister Ashish Sood and APJ School.

Aam Aadmi Party has raised serious questions about the principal and manager of APJ School, who were found sitting in the house of Education Minister Ashish Sood till late night with the admit cards of the children. AAP’s Delhi President Saurabh Bhardwaj asked BJP what is the relation of Education Minister Ashish Sood with APJ School? The school is supposed to give admit cards to the children, but why was the principal of APJ School sitting at the Education Minister’s house till late Monday night with the admit cards of the children?

He said that Ashish has declared himself the guardian of 18 lakh children. If this was really the case then they would have lodged an FIR against APJ School for withholding the admit card, but their government does not have that much courage.

What is the relationship of Ashish Sood with the principal of APJ School?

While holding a press conference with MLAs Sanjeev Jha and Kuldeep Kumar at AAP headquarters on Tuesday, Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the same principal and manager of APJ School, against whom the Aam Aadmi Party protested outside the APJ School throughout the day on Monday, were found hiding in the house of BJP Minister Ashish Sood. After all, what is Ashish Sood’s relation with the principal of APJ School? Are they relatives or friends? It is the job of the school to give the admit card, but the school principal is sitting at the minister’s house with the admit card. Why were they sitting there?

Controversy over withholding admit card before 10th board exam

Saurabh Bhardwaj said that there is 10th board exam on Tuesday and from Monday morning till 9:00 pm, APJ School blackmailed the parents of the children in front of the police. The school clearly said that admit cards will be available only if you pay the increased fees, otherwise they will not be available. It is very difficult for parents to fight the battle of school fees because children are involved in it. Parents can fight their battles, but children’s battles cannot be fought because children are tortured in school.

Giving the example of DPS Dwarka, Saurabh Bhardwaj said that even small children were not allowed to sit in the class there. They were made to sit in the library every day, harassed and insulted in front of other children by saying that they are worthless whose parents are not paying the fees. So leave the class. Bouncers were parked outside the school. Ashish Sood has not yet had the courage to file an FIR against DPS Dwarka despite the court order. Those children were tortured in front of everyone, but when questions were raised in the Assembly, the answer came that FIR has not been registered yet.

Attack on the claim of ‘parents of 18 lakh children’

Taking aim at Ashish Sood, Saurabh Bhardwaj said that Ashish Sood says that he is the guardian of 18 lakh children of Delhi. Such a parent is very degraded, whose 10th class daughter has Mathematics paper the next day and till 9:00 pm the daughter and her father stand outside the school wondering whether the admit card will be received or not. Who will prepare for this? Will Ashish Sood do it or will BJP Chief Minister Rekha Gupta write a mathematics paper for him?

Saurabh Bhardwaj said that it is shameless of Ashish Sood that he calls himself the guardian of 18 lakh children. If they were real parents, they would have scolded the principal of Apeejay School right there that how dare he withhold the admit cards of the children when there is an exam the next day. But Ashish Sood was keeping the manager and principal of APJ School sitting with him. Why has Ashish Sood not filed an FIR against the school yet?

Juvenile Justice Act issue

Saurabh Bhardwaj said that there is a direct provision of FIR under the Juvenile Justice Act for a person who tortures a 10th class daughter, tortures her emotionally and mentally. Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act prescribes punishment for cruelty to children. This section covers any act that causes mental or physical pain to the child. Withholding the admit card just before the examination is legally considered a form of mental harassment and cruelty. This is a clear legal provision, but why has Ashish Sood not filed an FIR yet? Is she wearing bangles or should we get a ghagra made for her?

Allegations of collusion against officials

Saurabh Bhardwaj said that letters have been written by the parents to the Director of Education not once but dozens of times that the admit cards of the children have been withheld. Deputy Director South and Education Secretary were also repeatedly informed, but no one took cognizance. The real reason for this dispute is that the parents want to pay the fees which have been approved by the government, while the school wants to charge the fees which it itself is demanding. Parents have sent checks of legal fees to Apeejay School dozens of times. These checks were sent directly and also through DM South. Whenever checks were sent, the Director of Education and the Education Secretary were copied in every letter.

Saurabh Bhardwaj said that Ashish Sood says he had no information. Even if we assume that he was not aware, then after such a big matter, why has he not taken action against the Deputy Director or the Education Director till now? He should have been suspended by now. This simply means that Ashish Sood, Director of Education, Deputy Director South and APJ School Management are all in collusion. All of them are one and together they are harassing the students.

Who was ‘the one above’?

During this, Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha said that on Monday, Aam Aadmi Party was sitting on a dharna outside APJ School for those children and we had gone and talked to the principal. At that time the principal said that my hands were tied. If a call comes from above, I will issue the admit card, but until instructions come from above, I cannot do anything. At that time we could not understand who this ‘above’ was.

Sanjeev Jha told that when we saw the photo of the school principal with Ashish Sood, then we understood that the one ‘above’ is Ashish Sood’s Delhi government. Now it is clear that Ashish Sood’s government is equally responsible in this matter as much as APJ School is responsible. Both are equally guilty. The courage of APJ School has increased so much because ‘the one above’ is with them. When this is so, what harm can anyone do? While giving the admit card, the principal and manager of APJ School are sitting with Ashish Sood.

Sanjeev Jha said that the Education Minister of Delhi does not have the courage to call the school and give direct instructions that there is an examination the next day and why the admit cards of the children were not issued? How can justice be expected in a government where such mafias are given protection? Today, private schools are running arbitrarily only because they are being patronized by the government and parents and children are suffering the consequences of this.

Expressing concern over the mental condition of the children, Sanjeev Jha said that think about the mental anguish of those children who have exams the next day and did not get the admit card till 9 pm. Who will compensate for their loss? May God not give anyone a guardian like Ashish Sood. Aam Aadmi Party hopes that in future no child has to suffer such mental pain. As far as this fight has to be taken, we all will continue to fight together.

Protest till late night and release of admit card

Meanwhile, Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar said that everyone saw whatever happened throughout the day on Monday. Under the leadership of Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi State President Saurabh Bhardwaj, we all stood outside the school from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm. We had resolved that we will continue to provide admit cards to the children. No matter how hard Ashish Sood and BJP tried, in the end they had to give the admit card.

Kuldeep Kumar said that the biggest and surprising thing is that the same principal of the school whom we had gone to meet, was present at Ashish Sood’s house on Monday night. In the school, the same principal was saying that my hands are tied, if I get a call from ‘above’ then I will give the admit cards of these children. This simply means that those children were tortured only at the behest of Ashish Sood’s government and they were given admit cards just 8 hours before the examination. What benefit did they get from this?

Kuldeep Kumar rejected Ashish Sood’s claim in which he said that he had no knowledge of the case. Kuldeep Kumar told that on February 15, Saurabh Bhardwaj’s version was in the media that how children were being blackmailed for fees and their admit cards were being withheld. It was also clear in the media that Delhi BJP and the Education Minister’s office did not respond to any of the allegations. The media contacted him, but he did not respond.

Kuldeep Kumar said that this clearly means that this matter was in the knowledge of Ashish Sood. He came to know about everything on 14th February itself, but he lied that he had no information. If APJ School was doing so much hooliganism, dictatorship and bullying, then Ashish Sood’s government was completely behind it. Both of them worked together to harass the children, but in the end truth prevailed and due to the struggle of Aam Aadmi Party, they had to bow down and the children got the admit cards.