6 days ago
AAP objects to BJP leaders' photos on notebooks distributed to Surat students
The Aam Aadmi Party's Surat unit has raised objections over the inclusion of photos of prominent BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Gujarat BJP President CR Paatil, and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, on the cover pages of notebooks distributed to students in municipal corporation-run schools.
The Opposition also pointed out the absence of Education Minister Praful Panseriya's photo, noting that he is from Surat, where the notebooks were distributed.
The development comes days after the Municipal Education Board, Surat (MEBS), had distributed educational kits, consisting of the said notebooks, among 1.80 lakh students, from Class 2 to 8, in Surat city, with each student receiving five notebooks, according to sources. A total of nine lakh books were distributed free of cost among the students.
The education kit comprised a compass box, a water bottle, a lunch box , and five notebooks.
The MEBS has 15 committee members, out of which 14 are from the BJP and one, Rakesh Hirpara, from AAP.
The notebook issue was raised by the AAP leader during the general board meeting of MEBS on Monday evening.
Appreciating the distribution of the educational kits, Rakesh Hirpara asked the chairman, Rajendra Kapadia, 'why photos of the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, BJP National president, state president, and Chief Minister were printed on the cover page of the notebooks?'.
Hirpara also asked about 'what role did they play in the education sector'.
'Photos of national heroes such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Dr B R Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh among others should have been there on the cover page of the notebook. By seeing these leaders daily, the students will get motivated, and can learn more from their lives,' the AAP leader said.
Countering Hirpara, one of the BJP members, also part of the MEBS, Vinod Gajera, said: 'These are the topmost leaders of the BJP. We have not put up a photo of (AAP National Convenor) Arvind Kejriwal, that is why you are annoyed'. Replying to Gajera's remarks, Hirpara retorted: 'Gujarat Education Minister Praful Panseriya is from Surat and even his photo is there on the poster in the conference room, so why is his photo not printed on the front cover page?'
Hirpara told The Indian Express, 'I objected to the photos on the cover page of the notebooks as instead of the photos of BJP leaders, it should have been the pictures of our national heroes so that the students could learn more from their lives. When I raised the question about the Panseriya's photo also missing from the cover page of the notebooks, they were silent.'
Meanwhile, MEB, Surat, Chairman Rajendra Kapadia said, 'Every year we distribute education kits among the students. This year, we have distributed over nine lakh books. The Municipal Education Board has spent Rs 7.43 crore on these kits. Last year, we had put up the photo of the Gujarat Education Minister on the front cover of the notebook, this year we had decided to do something new.'
