AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat unit of the BJP and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday engaged in a war of words over the performance of the two states in the field of education.
Sisodia took exception to the BJP's swipes at the Delhi government, and dared Gujarat education minister Jitu Vaghani to participate in an open debate.
On Wednesday, the official twitter handle of Gujarat BJP -- BJP4Gujarat -- came out with a series of tweets critical of the policies of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government.
"The education system of Kejriwal has failed. Delhi government should answer why they have terminated services of 20,000 guest teachers," said one tweet.
"Delhi government should answer why their teachers, vocational trainers and anganwadi workers are on the road and not in the classrooms," said another tweet, accompanied by a picture of agitating teachers.
Responding on Thursday, Sisodia tweeted, "The increasing influence of AAP in Gujarat and its win in Punjab has made you unstable and that is the reason you are tweeting against Delhi schools. I challenge Gujarat education minister Jitu Vaghani to debate on the education system of Gujarat and Delhi at the place and time of his choice. BJP should not speak about education."
Vaghani said the AAP was welcome to join the election fray.
"BJP respects election results. There are many open grounds (to debate), in democracy everyone can come to the battlefield. Whatever they have to say, they should put it before the people of Gujarat. Let us see if people believe them or not. Campaigns built on lies are exposed here," Vaghani said.
"I am confident that people of Gujarat will see our work and will vote us again to power here," he said.
Notably, AAP's national convener Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann will be visiting Gujarat to launch the party's poll campaign in the first week of April.
They are expected to conduct a roadshow in Ahmedabad.
The BJP on Tuesday inducted over 2,000 AAP workers in its fold, but the AAP said they were not its members.
Assembly elections are due in Gujarat in December 2022.