Lucknow: Under the banner of the “Save Schools Campaign”, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders staged a powerful protest in Lucknow’s Saraiya village (Bakshi Ka Talab constituency) against the closure of local primary schools by the Uttar Pradesh government. AAP’s Ayodhya Pradesh President Vinay Patel, accompanied by party members and local residents, visited the now-shut Saraiya Primary School and marched through the village raising slogans of “Bring Back Our School”.
Speaking at the protest, Vinay Patel expressed deep concern over the closure of the school, which catered predominantly to children from Dalit, backward, and underprivileged families. “The school has been merged with another located two kilometers away. Young children can’t travel such distances on unsafe roads. Their education is being disrupted. This decision is unjust and against the spirit of the Right to Education Act,” Patel said.
During the visit, AAP leaders interacted with parents and children who shared their struggles. Several parents highlighted the poor road conditions and safety concerns, which have led many children to drop out. “Sending small children across busy roads is a risk to their lives. What wrong have these innocent kids done to deserve this?” asked a concerned parent.
AAP State Spokesperson Mahendra Singh called the mass closure of 27,000 primary schools across the state an “educational disaster”. He vowed to fight the issue at every level. “From the streets to the Supreme Court, AAP will raise its voice. The closure of schools affects the poorest the most, denying them their right to education. We will not stay silent while the government plays with the future of our children,” he said.
Singh also accused the Yogi Adityanath-led government of discriminating against marginalized communities. “The Chief Minister should visit this village and see firsthand how his government’s actions have shattered dreams. Education is not a privilege, it is a right,” he stated.
Imran Latif, President of AAP’s Buddhist Province, echoed these concerns, stating that the campaign will be intensified across the state. “Through this movement, we will expose the government’s anti-people education policies. Every closed school will be reopened with the people’s support,” he declared.
AAP placed the following key demands before the Uttar Pradesh government:
- Immediate reopening of all shuttered primary schools.
- Ensuring accessible local education within a 1 km radius as per RTE norms.
- Strengthening the education system by building more schools and recruiting adequate teaching staff instead of shutting down existing institutions.
The party also appealed to all concerned parents and citizens to join the movement to protect children’s futures. Present during the protest were Women’s Wing District President Priyanka Srivastava, Noor Siddiqui, Pankaj Yadav, Lalit Valmiki, Majid, Anita Rawat, and Salman, among others.
The protest marked another strong chapter in AAP’s growing campaign to prioritize education as a fundamental right and hold the government accountable for its policies.
