Manish Sisodia architect of education revolution in Delhi, ‘demonic forces’ sent him behind bars: Kejriwal

“Today, children from government schools in Delhi are getting admission in IITs and clearing the all-India medical exam. This is a sea change, a revolution. Delhi has witnessed a revolution in education over the last 8 years; there is only one person behind this revolution — Manish Sisodia,” Kejriwal said at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a government school in east Delhi’s Vinod Nagar.

“Children from poor families had stopped dreaming of a better academic future, but the universe had other plans…it was the country’s good fortune that along came Manish Sisodia to trigger this revolution in the education sector in Delhi,” he said further.

The former education minister’s achievements in Delhi were behind the “decision to send him behind bars”, Kejriwal alleged, challenging Sisodia’s arrest in the alleged excise policy scam. This, he sought to argue, was because the positive changes in Delhi had triggered hope of a similar transformation at government schools across other states in the country.

“Despite what was accomplished in the city by Manish Sisodia, they sent the person who helped fix the situation around schools in the city behind bars…who puts someone ensuring the education of the children of the poor to jail?” Kejriwal demanded.

“They say that he is corrupt…I ask you, which corrupt person gets up at 6 in the morning to inspect government schools to see whether they are functioning properly? No corrupt person fixes or visits government schools for inspection,” he said.

Terming the path of truth a difficult one to traverse and riddled with thorns, the Delhi chief minister alleged that the situation would not have played out as it did if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too had given “cuts” to corrupt politicians.

When one walks on the path of truth, all “demonic forces” conspire against them, Kejriwal said, citing Lord Ram, who was banished for 14 years, as an example.

“If we in the AAP had started accepting money and given them a cut out of it, they would have spared him…but we couldn’t do that, we were to walk on the difficult path of the truth,” Kejriwal said.

“When someone does that, all the demonic forces come together against one…they did not spare Lord Ram who had to go into vanvaas for 14 years…pick up history and you will find that no great personality has been spared,” he added.

“Forces” which could not tolerate the academic progress of children from poor families had conspired to put Sisodia, who is currently in judicial custody till April 17, behind bars, Kejriwal alleged.

Expressing hope that Sisodia’s honesty and innocence would come to the fore sooner or later, the chief minister said the former Delhi deputy CM would be released. “The universe and God test people walking on the path of truth; today, Atishi (education minister) and I may be laying the foundation for this new school building, but when it gets ready by February next year, Manish and I will inaugurate it,” he said.

Meanwhile, a war of words was triggered between Kejriwal and Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana over the former’s “less educated” jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Khurana had early Saturday tweeted videos of purported answer sheets of Class 9 students from Delhi government schools scoring abysmal marks, alleging, “Witness the truth of Delhi government schools. This is @ArvindKejriwal’s education revolution. 3 marks out of 80 for one child, 5 for some, 9 for some. Every year more than 1 lakh children fail in 9th. And it is said that he brought a revolution in education. It’s amazing.”

Responding to Khurana, Kejriwal stated, “If some children are weak in studies, we will teach them by organising extra classes. One of these children will become the PM of the country in future. We do not want anyone to become PM in future with a fake degree.”

Khurana retorted by seeking to remind the chief minister of former Delhi law minister Jitendra Tomar’s fake law degree. “It is you who makes ministers with a fake degree @ArvindKejriwal. Do you remember one of your jewels Tomar, to whom you had given a certificate? The whole world saw what happened later. And yes, after all, you have accepted that children are failing in your 9th standard. That is why you are talking about giving extra classes.”