Jaipur government school relocated after clash between CJP workers and villagers

A government school in Jaipur’s Rampura village was relocated to a building around 50 metres away on Saturday, less than 24 hours after a dispute between members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and villagers led to a confrontation.

The clash broke out on Friday during an inspection of the school, with both sides subsequently accusing each other of assault, intimidation and disturbing law and order.

Following the incident, CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke threatened to stage a protest in Jaipur if measures were not taken within 48 hours to improve the school’s condition.

The school began operating from a house in the village on Saturday morning, with more than 16 pupils and two teachers present at the temporary premises. The room being used as a classroom had previously served as a grocery shop.

Conditions at the new location, however, raised fresh concerns. Some pupils were seen studying outside in the sun, while a blackboard had been placed outside one of the rooms. A storage chest and other household belongings remained inside the classroom.

Pupils also said the ceiling fan was not functioning, leaving them uncomfortable in the heat.

Meanwhile, CJP representatives and villagers filed complaints against each other at the Shivdaspura police station on Saturday. Both groups alleged that they had been assaulted and accused the other side of creating disorder. They also claimed that police personnel were pressuring them.

CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that party workers were attacked in the village and had their clothes torn during Friday’s confrontation. He demanded the immediate arrest of those involved.

Ranka claimed that outsiders had been brought to the village to carry out what he described as a “pre-planned attack”. He further alleged that some of those involved were later seen with local BJP MLA Kailash Verma and that stones had been used with the intention of causing serious injury.

According to Ranka, police personnel did not reach the spot despite repeated efforts to contact them. He said the party had released videos of the incident and called for an impartial investigation by the Rajasthan Police.

He also accused personnel from the Pratap Nagar police station of intimidating him and questioning CJP workers about him and his family.

Villagers, in their complaint, alleged that the CJP had disrupted peace in Rampura. They claimed that the arrival of a large group of people, some of whom were allegedly carrying weapons, had created fear and left children reluctant to attend school.

They rejected the allegations levelled by CJP members and sought action over what they described as intimidation and disorder. The villagers also urged the state government to reconstruct the school building at the earliest so that classes could resume under suitable conditions.

Ranka said the party would continue its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign highlighting the state of government schools in Rajasthan. He also indicated that the CJP could expand its demands to seek the resignation of state Education Minister Madan Dilawar.

Dilawar, meanwhile, said in a social media post that sustained efforts were under way to improve government schools across Rajasthan through construction and repair work, infrastructure development, smart classrooms, laboratories and other essential facilities.

The competing allegations have not been independently verified. Police are investigating the complaints to establish the sequence of events and determine responsibility for Friday’s confrontation.

With IANS inputs