Delhi Government to File FIR Against Kejriwal for Teacher Misinformation, Says Sood

Delhi’s education minister, Ashish Sood, announced Friday that the government will file a police complaint against former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly spreading misinformation about the city’s teachers on social media.

“The government has made a well-considered decision to file a police complaint about the misinformation being spread about teachers in Delhi,” Sood told reporters. “This time, the person spreading fake news is Arvind Kejriwal, who sits in the Sheesh Mahal in Chandigarh.”

The minister stated that after careful deliberation, officials decided to pursue an FIR against Kejriwal specifically regarding a recent post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Sood’s remarks notably referred to Kejriwal as among the “unemployed leaders of Delhi,” highlighting the escalating political tensions between the current BJP-led administration and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The dispute centers on Kejriwal’s Tuesday social media post claiming that the BJP-led government had instructed educational institutions, schools, and stadiums to nominate nodal officers to handle matters related to stray dogs. Kejriwal provocatively questioned: “Will teachers in Delhi’s government schools teach children, or will they count dogs on the streets instead?”

In his post, Kejriwal further accused the BJP administration of “insulting teachers” and claimed the directive “exposes their thinking and priorities.” He added that “for the BJP, education is not even an issue; these people are insulting teachers and ruining schools.”

The controversy comes amid a significant political shift in Delhi. After the AAP government’s collapse following Kejriwal’s resignation, the BJP has taken control of the capital’s administration. This transition has intensified the already fraught relationship between the two parties, with education policy becoming a central battleground.

Education has long been a flagship issue for AAP, which frequently highlighted improvements to Delhi’s public schools as one of its key achievements during its tenure. Under AAP’s governance, Delhi’s education system garnered attention for initiatives including teacher training programs, infrastructure improvements, and international exposure trips for educators.

In his social media post, Kejriwal contrasted the two administrations’ approaches, writing: “When our government was in Delhi, we respected teachers, removed unnecessary burdens from them, and made children’s education the topmost priority. We sent teachers abroad for training and improved the schools. Today, the BJP government is bent on destroying everything.”

The current administration has not provided specific details about the alleged misinformation in Kejriwal’s statements, nor has it clarified whether such a directive regarding stray dog monitoring was actually issued to educational institutions.

This confrontation represents the latest chapter in Delhi’s complex governance structure, where political control is divided between local and national authorities. Education falls under the Delhi government’s purview but has frequently become entangled in broader political disputes.

Political analysts note that education policy resonates strongly with Delhi voters, particularly the middle class, making it a strategic focus for political messaging from both parties. The BJP’s decision to pursue legal action rather than merely issuing a clarification suggests the party recognizes the potential political damage from Kejriwal’s allegations.

As the investigation proceeds, educators and school administrators remain caught in the crossfire of this political dispute. Teacher unions have yet to issue formal statements regarding the controversy or the alleged directive about stray dog monitoring.