Intention wasn't to point faults: Delhi CM Kejriwal to Himanta Biswa Sarma

A day after Assam CM Himanta Sarma asked his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal to "do his homework" before commenting, the AAP supremo said on Friday his intention was not to "point out faults"

A day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asked his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal to "do his homework" before commenting, the AAP supremo said on Friday his intention was not to "point out faults" and that "we have to learn from each other" to make the country stronger.

Kejriwal had, on Wednesday, tweeted that a closure of schools is not a solution and there is a need to open more schools across the country, and shared a link to a news report claiming a "closure" of some schools in Assam.

Sarma took to Twitter on Thursday to lash out at Kejriwal over the amalgamation of schools and asked him to "do his homework" before commenting.

"Dear @ArvindKejriwal Ji-as usual you commented on something without any homework! Since my days as Education Minister till now, please note, the Assam government has established/taken over 8,610 new schools," Sarma had tweeted.

He had also asked how many schools did the Delhi government start in the last seven years.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief responded to Sarma's tweet on Friday.

"Oh, it seems you took offence. My intention was not to point out your faults. All of us are one country. We have to learn from each other, then only India will become the number one country," Kejriwal said in his tweet in Hindi.

He further said he is willing to visit Assam and asked Sarma when should he go to the northeastern state.

"You show me your good work in the field of education. You come to Delhi, I will show you the work in Delhi," he said.

Kejriwal had tweeted on Wednesday in response to a news item claiming that the Assam government had closed 34 schools due to poor results.

Sarma later claimed that since his tenure as the education minister, the state government has, from 2013 till now, provincialised or taken over private schools into the government fold and this includes 6,802 elementary and 1,589 secondary schools, 81 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, three Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avashik Vidyalaya and 97 tea garden model schools.

Later in the day, Sarma, in a series of tweets, shared some of the differences between Delhi and Assam, mocking Kejriwal.

"Dear @ArvindKejriwal Ji, Your ignorance is painful. Let me help you. Assam is 50 times bigger than Delhi! Our 44521 govt schools teach 65 lakh students - against your 1000+ odd schools. Our army of dedicated teachers number 2+ lakh; Midday meal workers 1.18 lakh. Fathom it?" he wrote on the microblogging website.

In another tweet, Sarma said: "And yes, when you're in Assam, which you so desperately wish to, I will take you to our Medical Colleges, 1000 times better than your Mohalla Clinic. Also meet our bright Govt school teachers and students," and added in Hindi, "quit bothering about making India no.1, Modiji is doing that".