SP, AAP slam UP govt over school merger plan; vow to continue protest against it

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the Uttar Pradesh government over the controversial school merger policy, accusing it of shutting down educational institutions without accountability.

Addressing a gathering in the state capital, Yadav declared that “no police force can stop PDA Pathshala,” a grassroots initiative by the SP to continue teaching children in affected areas.

“The Chief Minister should personally visit the schools and see the ground reality,” Yadav said. “The government has itself admitted that several schools have been shut down or merged. Until new teachers are recruited in those institutions, Samajwadi Party workers will continue to teach students.”

In a parallel move, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also condemned the policy, alleging that it is designed to deprive underprivileged children of their right to education. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, “As long as even a single child in Uttar Pradesh is deprived of education, our struggle will continue.”

Singh added that public outrage and the party’s resistance had already forced the government to roll back a key clause mandating school mergers based on a one-kilometre radius and a minimum of 50 students. “It’s a partial victory for the people,” he noted.

However, he clarified that the protests would not stop until the government completely withdraws the plan to shut or merge any more schools.

AAP’s UP co-incharge Dilip Pandey warned that the party would not relent until every closed school is reopened. Echoing similar sentiments, Delhi MLA Anil Jha accused the BJP-led government of deliberately attempting to deny education to children from Dalit, OBC, tribal, and economically weaker communities.