Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Friday launched a scathing attack on the opposition parties, slamming the Congress, BJP, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for mocking the AAP Government's education reforms while having failed to provide even basic infrastructure like toilets in schools during their 75 years of rule.

“Where was their shame when our daughters were forced to relieve themselves in the open? When lakhs of children had to sit on bare ground in classrooms? Today, they laugh at toilets while we work to restore dignity in government schools,” said Bains, addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan.

He revealed that before the Bhagwant Mann-led Government assumed office, more than 3,000 government schools lacked toilets, over 8,000 had no boundary walls, and around three lakh students sat on the ground due to the absence of desks. “This is not just neglect, it's a betrayal of Punjab’s future,” he said.

Taking direct aim at previous regimes, Bains accused Congress and Akali leaders of splurging public money to build sprawling farmhouses and five-star homes, while children from farmer and labourer families were deprived of basic amenities. “They built palaces for themselves. We built clean toilets for our daughters,” he said, adding that those who once ignored schools now ridicule the progress being made.

He invited opposition leaders and the media to accompany him on visits to government schools to witness firsthand the sweeping changes brought in under the ‘Sikhya Kranti’ initiative. “What they failed to do in 75 years, we have done in just three,” he added.

The Education Minister also highlighted that more than 12,000 of the state’s 20,000 government schools have already undergone massive transformation with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. The facilities include separate toilets for girls and boys, boundary walls, clean drinking water, high-speed Wi-Fi, smart classrooms, and proper furniture.

“Over 28 lakh students study in Punjab’s government schools. They deserve respect, dignity, and equal opportunity. These toilets are not just structures — they are monuments to the decades of failure by previous governments, and symbols of the revolution we are leading in education,” Bains said.

The Minister reaffirmed the AAP Government's commitment to building a ‘Parhda Punjab’, where no child is left behind because of lack of facilities. “We will not rest until every school in Punjab reflects the aspirations of our children and the values of this government,” he asserted.