NEW DELHI: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday levelled serious allegations against former chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of misleading the public and indulging in what he described as “shoot and scoot” politics.
Addressing a press conference, Sood said Kejriwal’s politics had been reduced to “lying and running away,” a practice that, he asserted, the people of Delhi would no longer accept.
Referring to an earlier controversy, the minister said he had previously read out and explained a circular issued by the Directorate of Education, making it clear that there was no instruction directing teachers to conduct any counting of dogs.
“I had publicly stated that if even a single line in the circular mentioned dog counting, I would apologise as Education Minister. Otherwise, Arvind Kejriwal must apologise to the people of Delhi for deliberately misleading them,” Sood said.
He claimed that after this clarification, the AAP stopped raising the issue altogether, as the facts had come out in the open. Sood alleged that Kejriwal was now attempting to create unrest and lawlessness in Delhi merely to remain politically relevant.
The education minister said that Kejriwal, having served as the CM of Delhi, could not pass off his statements as a misunderstanding.
“These statements appear to be part of a deliberate and well-planned strategy. This reflects AAP’s consistent pattern, first making baseless allegations, then creating sensationalism, and finally retreating from responsibility,” he said.
Sood also accused the AAP of recently attempting to create confusion over pollution, alleging that the government was avoiding discussion, despite the Assembly agenda clearly stating that the issue would be taken up for debate.
“Repeatedly lying on every issue and then stepping back will no longer be tolerated. We are not the ones who run away. Arvind Kejriwal must apologise to the people of Delhi for his lies,” Sood said. He added the Delhi government was willing to accept a public apology without initiating legal proceedings.