New Delhi: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia urged lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal to ensure adequate security arrangements are made in government schools in Delhi. Referring to the attack on a teacher in Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya by a mob in northwest Delhi’s Narela on February 21, he said that strict action must be taken against those involved.
In a letter addressed to Mr Baijal, Mr Sisodia highlighted the security issues involving female teachers and students as the Delhi police falls under the L-G’s jurisdiction. “It is a matter of concern if the teachers are not safe within the premises of their school/s. Since the Delhi police comes under the L-G, I request him to ensure that the swift action is taken in this case and adequate security arrangements are made for all the government schools in Delhi,” Mr Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said.
Urging action, the AAP leader also referred to the recent alleged assault on Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash in which two AAP MLAs have been arrested by the police.
He said that in Mr Prakash’s alleged assault case, “the police has taken immediate action, including arrests within 24 hours, 50 cops rushed to CM house to collect evidence and the DCP’s presence in the court to ensure the accused don’t get bail.
“I request the L-G to ensure that the Delhi police show the same level of interest in the case of assault on a schoolteacher in Narela,” he said.
Mr Sisodia said that otherwise, it would give a wrong message that security of teachers was less important than that of IAS officers and it was essential to make them feel that their security was of prime importance to the Delhi police and its controlling authorities — the L-G and the Union ministry of home affairs.
Regarding the attack on the schoolteacher, he said this wasn’t the first such incident; last year, a teacher was stabbed within a school premises.
In double shift schools, there are repeated complaints regarding the safety of female students and teachers at the time of shift change Though the police is committed to the police at the time of shift change, nothing of this sort has ever happened so far, Mr Sisodia added.
