BJP Reduced Education Budget to Ruin Future of Youths, Says Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Terming the BJP an "anti-education" party, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged that it wanted to ruin the future of youths by slashing the education budget.

His remarks came after a news report claimed that the Centre has reduced the education budget. The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has, however, clarified that no such reduction has been made.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi is the only one which has the highest allocation of funds for education, Sisodia claimed, adding that his party believes that investments made in the education sector are of utmost importance.

Hitting back at Sisodia, South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri said during the last five years, the people of Delhi have been cheated on every issue and by spending crores in advertisements, the Arvind Kejriwal government has robbed them of their hard earned money.

Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, also alleged that the education budget in states where the BJP is in power had been reduced.

The decreasing of the education budget by the BJP government at the Centre amply proves that the BJP is an "anti-education" party and they want to ruin the future of the youth of India, the deputy CM said.

"The AAP has made a huge effort to raise the standards of the capital city of India in the domains of finance, delivery and results. The basic principle driving this growth is the investment in education.

"We believe that investments made in the education sector are of utmost importance for the future of the nation," he said.

Sisodia said a government that is not willing to invest in education and in the youth, who shape the future of the nation, "is conspiring to destroy the future of the nation".

He challenged the BJP to participate in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections based on providing quality education.

"We believe that quality education is directly proportionate to the growth and success of a nation. It is through education that we can tackle the problems of poverty.

"We believe that education is the most important agenda. I challenge the BJP to participate in the upcoming Delhi elections based on providing quality education, thereby presenting their model for education," Sisodia said.