NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy, Manish Sisodia, will not be at hand when the United States First Lady Melania Trump visits a Delhi government school on February 25, Delhi government sources said on Saturday. According to the sources, the central government pressured the US embassy to drop their names.
As per the original plan, both the CM and the Deputy CM were to join the First Lady during her visit to a school to understand the functioning of happiness classes in Delhi government-run schools.
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Delhi government officials said preparations were almost complete and Melania Trump’s visit would still go ahead but without Kejriwal and Sisodia’s presence.
While there was no word from CM and his deputy, Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai said as they had not received any official communication on this yet he would not like to comment on the matter.
The Bharatiya Janata Party denied any role in the matter. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the Indian government does not influence the US government on the list of invitees.
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“Petty politics should not be played on important occasions. The Indian government does not influence the US on whom to invite and whom not to. So, we don’t want to get into any arguments,” Patra said.
The happiness curriculum, launched by the Dalai Lama in 2018, has been adopted in all Delhi government schools in order to help uplift the mental wellbeing of children. Over 40 teachers, educators and volunteers designed and prepared the curriculum over a six-month period. It is taught to all students from nursery up to Class VIII. Many visiting education ministers from India and abroad have visited Delhi government schools to learn from their experience.
Why no invite?
When contacted, a US embassy spokesperson referred the query to Delhi government on the matter