AAP Protests at Swami Nagar School Over Alleged Delhi Bicycle Scam
The Aam Aadmi Party staged protests outside girls' schools across Delhi on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, including a demonstration outside Swami Nagar Government Girls School, targeting the BJP-led Delhi government over an alleged bicycle procurement scam and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Ashish Sood.
Outside the school in Swami Nagar, party members marked Mr. Sood's birthday in a protest where an AAP worker wearing a mask of the Education Minister cut a cake. During the school dispersal, party workers handed out pamphlets to students and their parents, alleging that poor-quality bicycles had been procured by the administration at inflated rates.
The AAP has been alleging that the Delhi government bought 1.3 lakh bicycles under a government welfare scheme at exaggerated prices. The party also alleged that the procurement tender conditions were specifically tailored to favour select companies, prompting their demand for Mr. Sood to resign from his post.
The distribution scheme was first announced in March, when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented the annual budget. The government allocated ₹90 crore for the distribution of free bicycles to 1.3 lakh ninth-grade girls in government-run schools with the stated objective of curbing student dropouts. The government later rolled out the program on July 31, distributing cycles to an initial group of 3,000 female students.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that bicycles readily available in the retail market for ₹4,000 were purchased by the Delhi government for nearly ₹7,000 each. Bharadwaj claimed there was a ₹3,000 loot on every single bicycle purchased under the initiative.
Bharadwaj further stated that despite serious corruption allegations levelled against the education department over an extended period, Mr. Sood had neither ordered an inquiry nor agreed to speak with them. He added that because the minister did not invite the party to his birthday, workers decided to cut a cake among the students while distributing pamphlets.
