Jodhpur, Rajasthan: The Cockroach Janta Party’s recent outreach in Rajasthan has run into opposition in two different places, with a school visit in Jaipur turning confrontational and a public programme in Jodhpur being disrupted by student and youth activists.
The first incident took place on August 21 in Rampura-Kanwarpura village in Jaipur district, where a CJP team had gone to inspect a government primary school as part of its “School Thik Karo” campaign. The group says the campaign is aimed at highlighting poor infrastructure in government schools and pushing authorities to improve conditions for students.
Residents opposed the team’s visit and stopped the members from entering the school. The situation later turned into a confrontation, with reports of a scuffle and damage to vehicles. CJP leaders alleged that their volunteers were attacked and accused people linked to the BJP of being behind the incident. Those allegations have not been independently established.
Local residents gave a different account. They said they objected to the group’s presence at the school and were concerned about the CJP’s intervention in a matter they believed should be handled through the local administration. One resident also alleged that the presence of a large group created fear in the village. Separate complaints were subsequently filed by CJP members and villagers, turning the dispute into a police matter as well.
The controversy has also brought attention to the condition of the school itself. The Rajasthan government has now approved construction of a new building for the Rampura-Kanwarpura school, with work expected to begin in September. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka welcomed the decision, saying improving the school was the main objective of the campaign.
A second confrontation took place in Jodhpur on Sunday, where a CJP programme featuring Ranka was disrupted by activists associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, according to local reports.
The event was being held at the Gandhi Shanti Pratishthan. Reports said some protesters entered the premises by climbing over a wall, leading to a commotion. Police detained several people and later escorted Ranka from the venue.
The Jodhpur episode came as CJP continues to expand its education-focused campaign in Rajasthan. Before the Jaipur confrontation, the group had announced plans to visit schools in several districts, including Jodhpur, to document infrastructure problems and raise students’ concerns with the authorities.
The incidents have put the group’s methods under scrutiny. A teachers’ organisation in Rajasthan has also said schools should not become places for political confrontation and stressed that outsiders should enter school premises only with proper permission.
For CJP, the Rajasthan campaign is intended to keep attention on the condition of government schools. But the events in Jaipur and Jodhpur show how quickly an education-related campaign can become entangled in local and political tensions.
For now, the focus remains on what happens next both to the schools the group has raised concerns about and to the disputes that have followed its visits.
