Delhi Education Minister slams Kejriwal over ‘teachers counting dogs’ claim

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday (January 6, 2026) accused former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of making “wrong and misleading statements” regarding the deployment of government school teachers for counting of stray dogs and demanded a public apology.

In a letter addressed to Mr. Kejriwal, the Minister said, “You have publicly alleged that teachers are being assigned duties related to the counting of stray dogs. These assertions are not only incorrect but also amount to a serious misrepresentation of facts,” the Minister said, adding that “The Government circular on this matter is already in the public domain.” There was no immediate reaction from the Aam Aadmi Party.

Referring to Mr. Kejriwal’s administrative experience, the Minister said, “Given your background in Administration, as the Former Chief Minister of Delhi, your statements cannot be regarded as mere misunderstandings.” Instead, the remarks appeared to be “part of a deliberate attempt to derail the smooth implementation of this important safety initiative,” the letter said.

The Minister also accused the AAP of following a pattern of “shoot-and-scoot” politics, described as “making unfounded allegations, creating sensation, and then retreating from responsibility.”

“This style of politics creates avoidable turmoil, undermines public confidence, and disrupts governance,” the Minister said.

Mr. Sood underlined that “as Education Minister,” he “cannot, and will not, permit such practices to interfere with the welfare of children or the functioning of schools.” Calling for accountability, the Minister urged Mr. Kejriwal to “make a public apology to the people of Delhi for spreading disinformation,” and said that “a responsible political discourse requires restraint, honesty, and respect for schools.”

“I sincerely hope you will, henceforth, refrain from such falsehoods, malicious and misleading statements, and as penance for this shameful act, offer a public apology,” the letter added.

An FIR was registered by the police on a complaint by the Directorate of Education (DoE), accusing certain social media users of circulating “false and misleading claims” about school teachers in Delhi being asked to count stray dogs.