The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday gave the Rajasthan government 48 hours to arrest those allegedly involved in a clash with its volunteers during a school inspection in Jaipur district, threatening a statewide agitation and demanding Education Minister Madan Dilawar’s resignation if its demands are not met.
The confrontation took place in Rampura Kanwarpura village, where a CJP team had gone to inspect a government primary school as part of its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign.
CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka alleged that the team was attacked by people linked to the BJP and accused the police of failing to intervene.
“We had gone to inspect the school in Rampura-Kanwarpura village. For the past several years, the school has been operating in a buffalo shed. We had gone for an inspection last year as well, and the school was being run in a buffalo shed even then,” Ranka said.
He alleged that the confrontation was pre-planned and that CJP volunteers were assaulted before they could reach the school.
“Vehicle windows were smashed, phones were broken, a woman was assaulted, my shirt was torn, and one of our team members suffered a fractured hand. They even attacked us with stones,” he said.
Ranka issued a direct warning to Dilawar, linking the alleged attack to the CJP’s broader opposition to restrictions on access to government schools.
“I want to tell Madan Dilawar just one thing: You have 48 hours. These goons must be arrested. You must withdraw the order, otherwise we will launch a statewide agitation across Rajasthan. And this time, it will not just be about the schools. This time, we will demand Madan Dilawar's resignation,” he said.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also accused BJP workers of attacking the team and questioned the police response.
“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?” Dipke said in a post on X.
Ranka alleged that police were present in the area but did not intervene when stones were allegedly thrown at the CJP team.
“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 volunteers were injured and that vehicles belonging to the team were damaged.
“Our volunteers' hands were broken, vehicles were smashed. Women were also targeted and misbehaved with by men. Their phones were broken,” Ranka alleged.
Police have not confirmed the allegations. Bagru DSP Dharmendra Sharma said he was unaware of the reported confrontation.
The clash comes amid a wider controversy over an order by the Rajasthan education department restricting the entry of outsiders and mediapersons into government schools without a specific reason.
The CJP has opposed the restrictions, alleging that they could prevent public scrutiny of the condition of government schools. Ranka has said the organisation would continue its inspections despite the order.
The incident has drawn political reactions, with Rajasthan Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully condemning the alleged violence and accusing the government of attempting to hide the condition of schools.
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra also condemned the alleged attack and claimed BJP workers were behind it.
