Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana on Saturday slammed the party leadership and Punjab government, alleging that they had failed to resolve the shortage of teachers at some government schools in his constituency.
The AAP, however, dismissed the allegations and suspended Maiserkhana over what it described as “anti-party activities and indiscipline”.
In a Facebook Live earlier in the day, Maiserkhana, who represents the Maur constituency in Bathinda district, said he decided to raise the matter publicly after repeated efforts to address the teacher shortage failed to yield a solution.
Challenging the government’s claims about improvements in school education system, the MLA alleged that conditions on the ground did not reflect the picture presented by the party.
The MLA became emotional while speaking about the issue, saying that his own son attends a government School of Eminence where, he claimed, teachers are also in short supply. He further alleged that he is the only legislator from the ruling party whose children attend a government school.
“I am going live after feeling sad. I kept demanding the filling of teacher posts, but it has not been done yet,” the AAP MLA said, while directing his criticism at the government led by his own party.
He said that after bringing the teacher shortage to the party leadership’s attention, he was informed that the chief minister wanted to meet him.
“But he did not meet me,” he claimed, further stating, “How long will I tolerate? What did I do wrong to the party?”
The AAP legislator stated he was aware that the party could deny him a ticket in the forthcoming elections, but maintained that this would not stop him from raising issues affecting people. “But I will continue to fight for people,” he said.
He said he had approached the party’s senior leadership with his concerns but claimed that no solution had been found. “Tell me where I am wrong,” he said.
The MLA also said he was worried that an FIR could be registered against him over his criticism. According to him, the school principal had even told his son to ask him to ensure that vacant teaching positions were filled.
“My fight is for schools. If nothing is done in schools, then what will one do with such education? Among all MLAs, only my children study in a government school,” he added.
Following the MLA’s public criticism, Punjab AAP general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat announced that Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana had been suspended from the party with immediate effect.
Issuing the suspension, Barsat stated, “It has come to the notice of the party that you have been found involved in anti-party activities and indiscipline. In view of the above, your primary membership from the party is suspended with immediate effect.”
Opposition parties seized on the AAP MLA’s allegations to attack the Punjab government and called for Chief Minister to step down.
Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh said Maiserkhana’s allegations had vindicated the Congress’ criticism of the AAP government’s education policies over the past four-and-a-half years. He alleged that the party’s claims of an education revolution were driven by publicity and accused the government of adopting a dictatorial approach.
Singh also said Maiserkhana was the only AAP MLA to have enrolled his children in a government school. He claimed that, like many people in Punjab, the legislator had initially been persuaded by the AAP’s Delhi model and its claims about transforming the education system.
“Today, the MLA himself has tearfully brought to light the reality of teachers and facilities in schools and the reality of ignoring his demands for the schools,” Singh wrote in a post on X.
The BJP’s Punjab unit said Maiserkhana’s account has “punctured the ‘education revolution’ narrative” promoted by the ruling party in the state.
“A sitting AAP MLA, Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana, says he has repeatedly raised basic issues like repairing schools and appointing teachers, yet nobody listened.
“Now, he says that despite being a sitting MLA of the ruling party, he cannot even get an appointment with the chief minister. If an AAP MLA cannot even meet his own chief minister, then what does that say about the ordinary people who are trying to be heard?” Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also targeted the AAP government, saying its “fake” ‘Sikhya Kranti’ has been “exposed” by its own MLA.
“Four years on, they can’t even provide teachers in classrooms. What is the point of renaming schools as ‘Schools of Eminence’ when there are no basic facilities? Their own MLA says his children complain about the lack of teachers; principals come begging, but the government doesn’t listen. Instead of wasting crores of rupees in the advertisement of these schools, they should have recruited the staff,” Badal said.
