Stray dog ‘duty’ row: Sood writes to Kejriwal, seeks public apology

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday said he has written a letter to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, seeking a formal apology for “malicious and misleading statements” about teachers being assigned “stray dog counting duty”.

“We will not let the ‘loot and scoot’ politics of Arvind Kejriwal run in Delhi,” Mr. Sood said in a press conference.

In the letter, he wrote, “You [Arvind Kejriwal] 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 government circular on this matter is already in the public domain.”

“A responsible political discourse requires restraint, honesty, and respect for truth. 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,” he added.

Mr. Kejriwal and AAP did not issue an official response to the letter.

Last week, Mr. Kejriwal posted on X, claiming that a Directorate of Education (DoE) circular diverts teachers to non-teaching duties. The DoE denied these claims, filed a police complaint, and an FIR was registered against unknown persons.

AAP had maintained that a circular by the DoE’s Deputy Director (Northwest) listed teachers from different schools for stray duty.