Village students shifted to vacant house after attack on CJP activists in Rajasthan

Government Response and School Orders

In the wake of a violent confrontation at a government school in Rajasthan, the state government has ordered the construction of a new school building at Rampura, with work scheduled to begin on September 1, 2026. According to a government order issued late Saturday, ₹18 lakh has been allocated for the project — ₹12 lakh from the District Mineral Foundation Trust and ₹6 lakh from the MLA fund.

The order came after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) workers were attacked while visiting the dilapidated school in Rampura-Kanwarpura village in Jaipur's Bagru Assembly constituency. The government said the construction would provide students with a safe and improved learning environment.

Broader Infrastructure Roadmap

The announcement is part of a larger three-year plan to overhaul school infrastructure across Rajasthan. The Chief Minister's Office said that on the directions of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, a roadmap involving an estimated expenditure of ₹12,500 crore has been prepared to transform government schools into safe, well-equipped, modern, and technology-enabled learning centres.

The roadmap, covering the financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29, proposes expenditure of around ₹2,487.75 crore on 3,587 new school buildings, ₹8,378.30 crore on 83,783 new classrooms, ₹1,129.45 crore on major repairs in 22,589 schools, and ₹340.4 crore on 13,616 toilet complexes. The digital component includes 9,000 smart classrooms, 7,000 ICT labs, and 80,000 tablets, with ₹1,087 crore earmarked by December 2026.

According to the government, over ₹3,006 crore worth of school development works have already been sanctioned or are at various stages of completion. This includes works worth ₹620 crore for 518 new school buildings under tendering, a ₹600 crore proposal for 894 new buildings, and ₹300 crore for 2,906 new classrooms. A provision of ₹550 crore has been made for major repairs and safety-related works, with ₹936.34 crore for educational and residential facilities.

CJP's Demands and Allegations

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the party had raised two demands following the incident: reconstruction of the affected school and action against those responsible for the violence. He said the government has accepted the first demand, but the second remains pending.

"Regarding those who engaged in hooliganism and incited violence — arrest them. Take action on the FIRs we have filed. If you believe we also engaged in hooliganism, arrest us too. But you would need evidence," Ranka told ANI.

Ranka accused police of being "hand in glove" with BJP functionaries, claiming officers were called but did not respond. He alleged that stones were pelted, vehicles and phones damaged, and a woman member was assaulted. He also claimed that Education Minister Madan Dilawar congratulated the attackers and that some of those involved met Bagru MLA Kailash Verma before the incident.

"It is clear from the videos that stones were pelted and our vehicles and phones were damaged. A woman member was assaulted. Instead of condemning the incident, my honourable BJP education minister Madan Dilawar congratulated the attackers," Ranka alleged.

Ranka said the CJP would not abandon its campaign and would question both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress over school infrastructure. "BJP goons may think they can stop us from exposing how they are hiding the poor condition of govt schools, but they have only emboldened us. We will soon resume our visits. We are ready to face their stones, batons and even bullets," he said.

Village and MLA Responses

Bagru MLA Kailash Verma denied the allegations, accusing CJP of "factless negative politics." He said the group arrived in large numbers and created unrest during an unauthorized visit. He confirmed that ₹18 lakh had been sanctioned for new classrooms, with ₹12 lakh from the DMFT and ₹6 lakh from the MLA fund.

In the village, about 20 students were shifted to a vacant house after the attack. The school building, constructed in 1999, had been declared dilapidated following an audit after a roof collapse at a school in Jhalawar district last year. Classes had been held in a cattle enclosure, which villagers described as unhygienic. House owner Ravishankar Sharma said he donated the space with the consent of villagers. "The school building is dilapidated. These are our own children," he said.

Local ex-panel member Rajesh Sharma questioned the CJP's entry, and Ram Kishore denied an attack, saying the situation got out of control due to the group's insistence. Villagers hung a poster on the gate with an appeal from a teacher, participating via Gyan Sankalp.

Perspectives

CJP's Position

The CJP maintains that its members were attacked unjustly during a peaceful inspection to highlight poor school conditions. It demands arrests of the alleged perpetrators and continued government action on school infrastructure.

Government and BJP Officials' Position

The state government and BJP leaders, including MLA Kailash Verma, deny the allegations of complicity. They argue that the CJP's visit was unauthorized and that the group's actions provoked villagers. The government has approved funding for the new school building, viewing it as part of its broader infrastructure commitment.