New Delhi, 24 October (H.S.): Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday dismissed allegations of irregularities in the procurement of school textbooks levelled by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, accusing the opposition of resorting to baseless allegations and what he described as “shoot-and-scoot” politics to obstruct the progress of the Delhi Education Department.

Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat, Sood displayed copies of the textbooks, tender-related work orders and measuring scales, asserting that the allegations could be examined against documentary evidence and verifiable facts.

Taking a swipe at the AAP, the minister alleged that its senior and newer leaders were competing to retain their political relevance. Using the term “chhotu” to target party leaders, he claimed that political figures were spreading misinformation to sustain their political careers amid an internal struggle for prominence. He alleged that the leadership was making unsubstantiated claims as part of this rivalry.

In response to the accusations, Sood also played the song “Choron Ko Saare Nazar Aate Hain Chor” from the 1971 film *Naya Zamana* during the press conference.

Addressing allegations surrounding the procurement of the Class VIII Hindi textbook *Malhar*, Sood compared the current government’s purchasing process with that of the previous AAP administration. He said AAP leaders had questioned the price of an NCERT book sold for Rs 65, while the Delhi government had procured *Malhar* for Rs 28.61 per copy.

The minister further claimed that, in 2022, during the previous AAP government’s tenure, the printing of a similarly sized Home Science textbook had cost Rs 55 per copy, nearly twice the current procurement price of Malhar.

Sood said the tender specified textbook dimensions of 17.1 cm by 24.1 cm, which he maintained complied with the prescribed standards. He invited journalists to measure the books using the scales provided at the press conference and independently verify their dimensions.

He also claimed that some textbooks procured during the previous administration had cost as much as Rs 110 or Rs 133 per copy, whereas the current government had capped the maximum price of textbooks at Rs 51.

Providing a class-wise comparison, Sood said the maximum price of a Class VIII textbook under the previous government had been Rs 110, compared with Rs 50.38 under the current procurement. For Class VII, he cited a previous maximum price of Rs 103, against Rs 75.88 under the present government. For Class VI, he said the maximum price had previously reached Rs 133, while the current price stood at Rs 57.76.

Accusing AAP leaders of engaging in “shoot-and-scoot” politics, Sood alleged that they first made false claims, levelled allegations such as demands for a 40 per cent commission, and then avoided accountability. He further alleged that a 60 per cent commission-based arrangement had operated during the previous AAP government’s tenure.

The minister said the government had initiated a detailed examination of the matter and warned that strict punitive action would be taken against those found responsible for deliberately disseminating false information and misleading the public after the review was completed.

Sood also released copies of official letters dated August 17 and September 6, 2023, written by the then Education Secretary. According to the minister, the letters documented shortcomings in the printing and quality of textbooks supplied during the previous AAP government’s tenure.

He argued that concerns about poor printing quality had been raised by officials within the previous administration itself. Referring again to the Rs 55 printing cost of a similarly sized textbook in 2022, he maintained that the current government was procuring *Malhar* at Rs 28.61 per copy through a transparent process. He added that the books were purchased only after undergoing the prescribed quality-assessment procedures.

The minister further accused AAP leaders of seeing corruption everywhere because of alleged irregularities during their own tenure. He announced that several major cases linked to the previous administration would be presented before the public in a phased manner, supported by facts and documentary evidence.

Referring to a popular saying in rural Delhi, Sood remarked, “A guilty person recognises guilt everywhere, just as I know myself.” He argued that those who had allegedly engaged in corruption for a decade were now inclined to see wrongdoing in every government transaction.

Reiterating his response to the textbook procurement allegations, the minister urged journalists to measure the books, examine the rates specified in the work orders and review the letters written by the former Education Secretary. He maintained that the relevant facts and documents had been placed in the public domain to demonstrate the government’s position.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar