Chandigarh: The Bhagwant Mann govt’s decision to paint the govt schools in Aam Aadmi Party colours has kicked up a political storm, with the Congress and the SAD (Punar Surjeet) launching a sharp attack against the ruling dispensation.Former education minister and MLA Pargat Singh accused the AAP of crossing the “conceivable line” of hypocrisy by ordering Punjab’s govt schools to be painted in the garish colours of the party flag. He accused the AAP of aping the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-Bharatiya Janata Party’s long-standing agenda of aggressively imposing ideology on young minds through the saffronisation of educational institutions.
“Now, treading the exact same despicable path, AAP issued a brazen order to paint Punjab’s govt schools in the colours of their party flag. This is not just shameful; it is an assault on the sacred principles of education,” he said. Pargat demanded that the govt immediately withdraw this dictatorial fiat before it inflicts irreversible damage.He slammed the move as a direct attack on children’s freedom and the sanctity of learning, saying that instead of strengthening school infrastructure, providing quality teachers, and fostering a nurturing environment, AAP is desecrating schools by drenching them in partisan hues. “Indian National Congress will not stand idly by,” he said. “Punjab’s people will rise in fury against this abomination. It is the govt’s solemn duty to keep education insulated from the toxic grip of politics.” SAD (Punar Surjeet) president Giani Harpreet Singh on Friday said the “decision” was “not only deeply shameful but also poses a serious threat to the education system.”Giani Harpreet shared a post on X and attached a Dec 22, 2025 letter from the office of the Director General School Education-cum-State Project Director Samagra Sikhya for whitewash/paint of 852 govt middle, high, and senior secondary schools in the first phase, which mentioned colour codes for whitewashing and painting walls, corridors, doors, and windows, among others.He said, “Schools and children are not propaganda tools for any political party. Attempting to impose a party’s identity by bringing children and educational institutions under political influence is condemnable and directly contradicts the fundamental principles of education.”Despite repeated attempts, education minister Harjot Bains was not available for comments.
