6 min readUpdated: Aug 21, 2026 03:58 PM IST
A Cockroach Janta Party delegation’s attempt to inspect a Rajasthan government-run school on Friday led to a scuffle and a jibe from a BJP lawmaker. Gopal Sharma, the Civil Lines (Jaipur) MLA, told reporters: “What is CJP? There is no use of a cockroach inside a house. Children and youth belong in a house…”
It started with a CJP team trying to audit a village schoolin Jaipur’s Bagru Assembly constituency.
The team – led by co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka – rolled up outside the village this morning. On X, he said: “… the government school located in Kanvarpura has been operating in a buffalo shed for the past several years. I am just now reaching there.”
‘BJP goons attacked us’
And they were met, he said by ‘BJP goons (who) have once again resorted to violence’.
Reports, however, said the men who resisted them were residents.
Ranka shared visuals of the scuffle; the CJP team was overpowered and pushed back by their opponents. Stones were thrown at the departing vehicle and the rear windshield was broken.
The violence continued even after the car left. A man in a black t-shirt was chased down, wrestled into submission, and beaten. “All levels of disgust have been crossed today… Car windows were smashed, stones rained down on the team.”
“All of this happened on the orders of Madan Dilawar (the Rajasthan Education Minister),” Ranka alleged, “Madan Dilawar finds it acceptable for children to keep studying in a buffalo shed. But fixing the school? That’s not acceptable.”
“The school will be fixed… one way or another,” he declared.
Around 40 CJP members – who were with Ranka – were injured and have been taken to a Jaipur hospital.
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A furious CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke demanded to know how the police could allow the attack.
‘People of Congress…’
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government’s initial response to the violence and the CJP’s angry tweets was to claim a link between the activist party and the ruling BJP’s arch-rival – the Congress. The state’s junior Home Minister, Jawahar Singh Bedham, told news agency ANI: “People of Congress wear different masks… visit villages, and disrupt the peace. The people are giving them a reply.”
“Nobody cares about the Congress, so they are wearing someone else’s mask.”
Avinash Gehlot, the Social Justice Minister, was similarly dismissive. “This has become a party of anarchic elements,” he said, referring to the CJP. “They are not repairing the school… but spreading anarchy. Anti-BJP elements are doing this.”
Dilawar also responded.
“Do not turn schools into political arenas! It has come to our knowledge that individuals associated with certain so-called political parties are visiting schools and attempting to unnecessarily spoil the atmosphere. This is extremely regrettable,” he said on X.
“A school is a sacred space for building the future of children. Here, the focus should be on education, values, and a bright future for students—not politics. Everyone should remain vigilant against attempts to tarnish the school environment for selfish interests and fleeting applause. I appeal to all teachers, parents, and the general public: Refrain from such efforts…”
Congress responds
For the Congress, ex-Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot came out to bat.
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Reminding reporters of the government order barring ‘outsiders’ from visiting state-run schools, he said, “… nothing can be reported. They want to keep their failures hidden. The bad condition of schools – dilapidated buildings and children have died.”
“The situation is very serious. And instead of taking remedial measures, the government is issuing such orders. They will have to withdraw this order,” he declared.
What did the police say?
Inspector Dharam Singh of the Shivdaspura Police Station said that no one had been beaten up, but admitted there was a ‘tussle’ between the villagers and CJP workers. “Our civil defence people is already in the area to control the situation. We have not yet received any complaints regarding anyone. We are keeping an eye on the situation of the village,” he said.
