Jaipur: A scuffle broke out at a village in Rajasthan when villagers, allegedly accompanied by BJP workers, put up barricades and forcibly pushed back a Cockroach Janta Party team that had gone there to inspect a government school as part of its “School Thik Karo” campaign.
Rampura Kanwarpura village in Jaipur district became the latest trouble point for the CJP, which alleged that its workers were attacked and pelted with stones, with co-convener Ashutosh Ranka accusing the state police of failing to intervene.
Ranka alleged that members of the CJP team were assaulted, vehicles were damaged and women supporters were roughed up.
Founder Abhijeet Dipke asked what is happening in Rajasthan and said in a post on X, “Goons of BJP are after the blood of Ashutosh and other CJP volunteers. How can @PoliceRajasthan allow this kind of attack?”
Bagru DSP Dharmendra Sharma, however, said he was unaware of any such development.
Videos of the incident showed a large number of people engaging in a heated exchange with the CJP team, pushing and shoving its members as they tried to enter the village. Some clips also showed smashed windows of cars, believed to belong to the visiting CJP team.
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“All levels of disgust were crossed today. For the past several years, the school at Rampura Kanwarpura has been running from a buffalo shed.
“But when we reached there for an inspection, we were openly assaulted, pelted with stones. Car windows were smashed, stones were rained down on the team. Clothes were torn. My clothes were also torn.” Ranka told reporters.
The school building was closed for students after being declared ‘unsafe’, with classes being held in a cattle enclosure close to it.
The villagers, however, claimed that the government had already sanctioned funds for the repair work, which could be carried out with local efforts.
Ranka alleged that the CJP team was attacked on the orders of Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar.
“Madan Dilawar finds it acceptable for children to study in a buffalo shed. But fixing the school? That’s not acceptable,” he said.
“Mr Dilawar – you sent goons today and shamed the entire state of Rajasthan in the eyes of the country. But we are not the kind of people who get intimidated by such thuggery,” he added.
“Today, the entire country has seen BJP’s hooliganism live. This is a black day for democracy in Rajasthan,” he said.
“We are giving you 48 hours. All these people should be arrested, and the order restricting outsider entry into schools should be withdrawn. Otherwise, this movement will go beyond education and target Madan Dilawar,” Ranka said.
The CJP team had gone to the village as part of its ongoing ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign to inspect the condition of government schools and interact with students and teachers.
Ranka also alleged that police were aware of stone-pelting in the area but did not intervene.
“Stone-pelting had already started there, yet the police raised their hands and said they would not do anything and that it was our matter,” he alleged.
He also claimed that several CJP volunteers sustained injuries, including one whose hand was fractured, while vehicles belonging to the team had their windows smashed.
“Our volunteers’ hands were broken, vehicles were smashed. Women were also targeted and misbehaved with by men. Their phones were broken,” Ranka alleged.
Ranka also claimed that his shirt was torn in the confrontation.
“Not even a single policeman was present there. Instead, BJP workers were present,” he alleged.
Ranka also said that he had visited this school about a year ago and it was in the same condition then.
“Even today it is being run from a buffalo shed. We want to get the school repaired, but you have resorted to hooliganism,” he said.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted on X, “What the F is happening in Rajasthan? Goons of BJP are after the blood of Ashutosh and other CJP volunteers. How can @PoliceRajasthan allow this kind of attack?”
According to sources, women allegedly threw mud at some female members of the CJP and drove them away.
The locals reportedly barricaded the main approach road to the village before the CJP team arrived and were seen checking vehicles entering the area.
The villagers later staged a sit-in outside the school and raised slogans against the CJP. BJP workers were also present during the protest, according to sources.
The visit came amid a controversy over restrictions imposed by the Rajasthan education department on the entry of outsiders and mediapersons into government schools without a specific reason.
The CJP opposed the restriction and accused the state government of attempting to prevent public scrutiny of the condition of government schools.
The CJP’s “School Thik Karo” campaign seeks to assess the condition of school buildings, availability of teachers and other facilities, academic arrangements and the overall ground situation in government schools, particularly in rural areas.
